G/LIC/Q/IND/26  
 
19 October 2015  
(15-5474)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Import Licensing  Original: English  
 
  IMPORT LICENSING SYSTEM OF INDIA 
REPLIES BY INDIA TO THE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION 
The following communication, dated 16 October 2015, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of India. 
 
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1.  India stated that domestic marble mining was also subject to licensing and 
production control due to concerns on en vironmental safety and that the domestic 
industry was also subject to comparable environmental norms1.  
 
a. Could India provide the references to the exact regulation(s), or policy 
announcement(s), or notification(s) and pr oduction quota allocation(s) regarding 
its licensing and production control for environmental reasons in force for its 
domestic marble mining industry? 
 
b. Could India provide clarification how its import licensing and quota system applied 
to imports could be justified from the point of view of conservation of its domestic 
exhaustible natural resources, bearing in mind that limitations to imports can 
trigger additional domestic production?  
 
Reply: Mining is closely linked with forestry and environment issues. Further, mining activity is an 
intervention in the environment and has the potentia l to disturb the ecological balance of an area. 
Thus, marble mining in India is subject to licens ing and production control due to safety of the 
environment.  Marble is a sensitive item for ecological and health safety reasons. A fine balance has to be maintained between requirement of mineral resource vis-à-vis environment/ecological 
concerns. Therefore, mining is allowed in India only after environmental clearance and there are 
several conditions stipulated in mining licenses. The miners are to follow the following Acts / Rules / Orders in addition to other Acts / Laws:  
(a) Mines Regulation 1961. 
(b) Rajasthan Pollution Control (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act 1961. (c) Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act 1974. 
(d) Forest Protection Act 1980. 
(e) Forest Maintenance Order. (f) Mines Rules 1955. 
(g) Marble Conservation and Development Rules, 2002. 
 
In India, the State of Rajasthan produces about 95% of the total production of marble. Rajasthan 
has a very well laid down Marble Policy. Marble is a minor mineral and mining of marble is 
governed by Rajasthan State Minor Mineral Conce ssion Rules (RMMCR) 1986. It is also governed 
by Marble Policy. So far two marble policies have been released in the years 1994 & 2002. Violation of any of these conditions attracts action against the violator as per the Act.  
 
This policy on one hand ensures grant of limited licenses for quarrying and on other hand ensures 
scientific and mechanized mining resulting in prot ection of environment, preservation of mineral 
and economic development. 
                                               
1 G/LIC/M/40 points 4.9 and 4.10. 
 G/LIC/Q/IND/26 
 
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  2.  India claimed that the Minimum Import Pric e is justified for quality reasons. In this 
respect, could India indicate what measures, if any, India has put in place with regards 
ensuring commensurate quality for India's do mestic industry? Could India provide more 
information on what quality benchmarks it us es for its domestic production of marble 
and travertine blocks?  
 
Reply:  India has laid down detailed BIS standards for marble and dimensional stone in line with 
EN and ASTM standards. 
 
3.  India issued the "Policy for issue of im port licenses of Rough Marble and Travertine 
Blocks for the Financial year of 2014/2015"  on 20 November 2014 (Notification No 99 
(RE-2013)/2009-2014). The EU recognises that  this Notification raised the annual 
overall ceiling from 6 to 8 lakh tonnes, and some other changes, but the main elements 
of the licensing scheme remained unchanged (such as MIP at 325 USD/tonne). 
Following Notification No 99, India issued Trade Notice No. 12/2014, dated 
8th January 2015 announcing the allocation of import licenses for the financial year 
2014-2015. The notification for marble im port policy for financial year 2013-2014 
(Notification No37 (RE-2013)/2009-2014 date d 26 August 2013) point VI Validity of 
Import Licenses states that the licenses issued under the policy for the financial 
year 2013-2014 "have a validly up to 30th September 2014". (N.B. the validity of the licenses for financial year 2014-2015 is up to 31 December 2015 according to 
Notification 99)  
 
a. Could India provide information if import s of marble and travertine blocks took 
place between 30 September 2014 and 8 Janu ary 2015? If no im ports took place, 
could India provide clarific ation as for the reasons? 
 
b. If imports took place in the said pe riod, could India provide clarification how 
import licensing was administered? In particular: 
 
i. Has the validity of the original impo rt licenses for financial year 2013-2014 
been extended? If so, could India provid e the reference of the notification(s) 
or trade notice(s)? 
 
ii. Could India clarify if additional impo rt licenses were issued for the interim 
period? If so, could India provide the reference of notification(s) or trade 
notice(s)? 
 
Reply: The quota for import of marble was 1.4 lakh MTs in 2007- 2008, which has been increased 
to 8 lakh MTs for 2014-15.  Thus, there is approximately 470% increase within 8 years which is 
quite substantial.  A fine balance is being maintained and opening of this sector is being done in a 
phased manner. 
 More than 1.30 lakh MTs of rough Marble has been imported during the period 30.9.2014 to 
8.1.2015.  Import authorizations are issued with a validity period of 12 months. Validity of 99 
import authorizations for the period 2013-14 were increased by the Regional Authorities of DGFT 
as per para 2.13 of Handbook of Procedure (HBP) Vol 1, 2009-14. 
 
 
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