December 20, 2006

EU says deal leaves Polish-Russian meat issues unresolved

Despite a deal to allow European Union meat exports to Russia to continue without interruption after January 1, a Russian ban on Polish beef will remain in place, the European Commission acknowledged Tuesday (Dec 19).

"The Polish issue has not been resolved," said EU spokesman Philip Tod.

That issue--Russia has blocked imports of Polish meats for the last year--stands between Brussels and an energy partnership with Moscow, which is designed to secure Russian gas supplies. Since Russia imposed its ban on Polish goods in 2005, Poland has stymied the energy partnership, saying no such deal can be made until Russia lifts its ban.

Tuesday's deal also keeps in place Russian bans on Bulgarian and Romanian meats. In recent weeks, Moscow has threatened a ban on all EU meat imports as soon as Bulgaria and Romania join the bloc in January. Russia already bans meat imports from those former Communist allies, citing health safety concerns.

The EU itself blocks almost all imports of Bulgarian and Romanian meat, and said it will continue to do so for at least a year. Tod said that allowed the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection Markos Kyprianou and Russian Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev to agree Tuesday that EU-approved meat may keep travelling to Russia.

"The details still need to be finalised, but in principle that which is not banned in the EU can reach Russia," said Tod.

European Commission figures show that in the first half of 2005, European beef exports to Russia were worth some EUR70 million. Russia is by far the EU's largest importer of beef, accounting for some 37 percent of EU beef exports.

The EU's relations with Russia have soured in recent years as Moscow has been seen as increasingly using the country's vast energy resources for political aims.