India today sought Germany's support for lifting the ban imposed by the European Union on import of four vegetables, including brinjal and bitter gourd, from the country.

Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh raised the issue during the third inter-governmental consultations with the German delegation held in New Delhi today, an official statement said.

The 28-member European Union had in May last year banned the import of Alphonso mangoes, the king of fruits, and four vegetables from India. However, the ban on Alphonso was lifted early this year. The minister, the release said, told the German delegation to "provide necessary support for lifting the ban on these items for exports to EU".

The minister said EU has banned import of eggplant (brinjal), taro plant, bitter gourd and snake gourd from India due to interception of quarantine pests. He told the delegation that the EU ban on four vegetables continues despite an audit team of EU inspecting the export certification process and verifying the additional steps taken by India to ensure export of pest-free fruits and vegetables, the statement added.