April 10, 2012

Croatian pork exports affected by EU regulations

Croatia needs to prove that farm pigs were separated from wild types to ensure that there was no re-transmission of swine flu among pork products, according to the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dacian Ciolos.

Under EU laws, Croatia currently is not allowed to export a single thermally unprocessed pork product other than ham, and only then if the ham weighs over 9.5 kilogrammes.

Asked when the EU would give the green light for Croatian pork exports to European markets, Ciolos told reporters that his colleague, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy John Dalli was working on improving things in the shortest possible time, adding that Croatia would soon fulfil its obligations to trade with the EU.

Croatia's Minister of Agriculture, Tihomir Jakovina, says that they have complied with all instructions from the EU so far and does not think that it is a food safety issue but a trade and political issue.