April 9, 2014

The EU filed a case against Russia at the WTO after Russia banned all EU live pigs and pork products imports in January this year on fears of African swine fever (ASF), cutting off almost 25% of all EU exports in the sector.

The bloc exports 700,000 tonnes of pig meat to Russia each year, worth €1.4 billion (US$1.9 billion) annually, according to the commission. EU Health Commissioner Tonio Borg said this disproportionate ban is having a major financial impact on European pig industry and cannot go unchallenged.

"After weeks of talks with our Russian counterparts to try to resolve this issue, we see absolutely no progress," said EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht, giving the bloc "no choice anymore but to pursue this case at the WTO."

Four cases of ASF have been detected in the EU this year, two in Lithuania and two in Poland, and all near the Belarusian border. Brussels has charged that the outbreak originated in Russia, reaching the EU via Belarus.

The European Commission has repeatedly argued that Russia is failing to live up to its WTO commitments, after joining the trade body in 2012. It accused Moscow of "double standards," since it was accepting imports from Belarus and had done so until recently from Ukraine, "despite notified cases of ASF in these countries."

Outbreaks of the disease in Russia had also not prompted the country to close its entire market to all domestic pork products, the EU's executive added.

The EU is initially seeking consultations with Moscow under WTO auspices - a step aimed at reaching a solution without resorting to litigation. Should this fail to succeed within 60 days, the bloc said it may ask the WTO to rule on the case.