ISLAMABAD, June 23: The Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Mr Tasneem Noorani left for Geneva late on Tuesday night to participate in consultations on the European Commission's Rice Regime for the 2004 crop.

Other members of the delegation to assist him in the intricate talks include Dr. Manzoor Ahmed, Pakistan's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO in Geneva; Mr. Tariq Iqbal Puri, Economic Minister in Brussels and three rice exporters from the private sector.

The consultations with the European Commission (EC) on its rice regime to be held on June 25, a Commerce Ministry source explained, are taking place under Article XXVIII of GATT.

The EC, according to details, had excluded super basmati from its abatement scheme last year. Following Pakistan's efforts, however, the Commission agreed to allow abatement in respect of the 2003 crop. It now wants to modify its rice import regime again. Hence the forthcoming consultations at Geneva.

Pakistan, as the source observed, has a huge stake in the consultations because it exports nearly 90,000 tons of brown basmati (husked) rice and 30,000 tons of white rice to the European Union.

Any change in the structure of import duties on rice exports would have far reaching effects on Pakistan's exports economy. The EU, in its latest offer, indicated its willingness to continue concessionary rate of duty on brown basmati rice but on the condition of DNA testing and establishment of geographical indications.

It would be the Pakistani delegation's endeavour to obtain continued concessionary duty regime on super basmati and maximum access for rice to European Union, the source added.