December 18, 2006

Ireland refuses to have beef deal with Russia

Ireland has stood firm with its EU colleagues in rejecting overtures from Russia to agree a bilateral deal on beef exports.

Despite Russia's threat to ban all EU meat imports, a trade worth EUR 40 million (US$ 52 million) annually to Ireland, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern does not want the country to move forward in the deal.

The issue has put the government in a difficult position. If the ban comes into effect, there would a backlash from the agriculture sector, but a bilateral deal would be against EU law.

The Russians have banned Polish meat imports and do not want imports from Bulgaria and Romania either over food safety concerns. The two countries would soon be joining the EU.

However, it has been insisting on having deals with Ireland and Germany separately, an issue which would not be acceptable to other member states as the EU insists ona uniform policy for all its member nations.

A German Agriculture Ministry spokeswoman denied a report that Berlin had signed a deal with Moscow but said it wanted an EU-wide solution this month.

Moscow also approached Italy, Lithuania and the Netherlands while Denmark, a major pigmeat exporter, was also expected to be on its list, EU officials said.