European Union (EU) on Wednesday decided to ban import of five types of fruits and vegetables from India, after a number of batches of fruits and vegetables were found to be contaminated by pests like fruit flies.

The ban, which covers mangoes, aubergines, the taro plant as well as two types of gourd, will take effect from May this year. In other words, India will not be able to sell the aforementioned fruits and vegetables in the EU member countries starting May this year.

The EU's Standing Committee on Plant Health said that they decided to put the ban because those contaminated fruits and vegetables could pose a threat to agriculture and production in EU member states.

The bloc's executive said a high number of consignments of fruits and vegetables were found contaminated with quarantine pests, chiefly insects like non-European fruit flies.

According to the EU Standing Committee on Plant Health, pests like fruit flies were found in a total of 207 consignments of fruits & vegetables imported from India during 2013.

These prohibited fruits and vegetables represent less than 5 per cent of the EU member states' total fruit and vegetable imports from India.

The bloc's executive will conduct a revision of the ban before December 31, 2015.