January 17, 2007

EU to sign agreement with Russia over meat trade dispute

The European Commission is set to sign an agreement with Russia, on Thursday (18 Jan), that would avoid a general embargo on European meat exports.

The Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, Markos Kyprianou, is expected to ask that Russia opens its doors to Poland, whose food exports have been banned by Russia.

Kyprianou said the absence of sanitary problems was reason enough for Russia to lift the embargo. He added that it is important to proof that all measures are indeed in place and that there is no technical justification for maintaining the embargo.

Just days before taking up the Presidency of the European Union, German Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced confidence that this matter would be settled.

In late 2006, the issue prevented the discussion for a broad economic partnership agreement on energy.

Russian Minister Gordeyev and Commissioner Kyprianou are set to sign a text confirming the oral agreement reached by the two men before Christmas and removing the threat of an embargo on all European meat exports.

The agreement would reiterate that products of animal origin manufactured by the European Community member states would be exported to the Russian Federation only if they are produced and stored in total compliance with import rules.

The multiple precautionary measures imposed by Brussels on Romania and Bulgaria have made it possible to prevent an EU embargo. Still, Moscow had concerns over imports of meat contaminated by swine fever, which is widespread in both countries.

The agreement states that "products of animal origin manufactured from raw materials originating in Bulgaria or Romania, which are not authorised in the EU, may not be imported into Russia, either directly from Bulgaria or Romania, or via a member state".