India has asked the European Union to lift the ban on the import of Indian mangoes. In a letter to EU Trade Commissioner Karl De Gucht, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said that the recent ban has caused considerable apprehension and alarm in the country. On Monday, the EU banned the import of mangoes from India for the period, beginning today till December next year. The ban was imposed after authorities found consignments infested with fruit flies.The letter said that India has mandated strong sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards and those norms are enforced by the state-run regulatory body, which ensures appropriate compliance.