June 3, 2013
Russia may resume import of breeding livestock from EU
Russia came to a critical decision to resume the import of breeding livestock from EU countries, which will be formalised after the development of a mechanism for provision of reliable safety guarantees, to be discussed at a special roundtable with European business operators and Veterinary Services.
Miko expressed his satisfaction with Rosselkhoznadzor's decision on resuming breeding livestock animal import from the EU. He noted that substantial scientific knowledge of the disease caused by Schmallenberg virus (SBV) had been accumulated to date, and the attention was focused on the assessment of economic effects of SBV spread.
According to Miko, measures adopted by the Rosselkhoznadzor to reduce risk of SBV introduction to the Russian Federation are excessive and unreasonable. Dankvert remarked that the EU was interested in export of live animals to Russia despite of expanding SBV outbreak, but not interested in import of live animals from Russia.
He also reminded that no restrictive measures had been taken at the onset of SBV outbreak, as was the case with bluetongue outbreak. This has resulted in SBV spread over the European territory in a relatively short time, which is why Russia needs additional guarantees for live animals imported from the EU over fears of further SBV spread.
Veterinary services of individual European countries are ready to provide such guarantees but not the European Commission. US, Canada and Australia have ceased import of live animals as well as genetic material (semen, embryos) due to SBV spread.
The two parties also discussed possible restrictions on planting material exports from the EU previously scheduled for June 1, 2013. Dankvert said that such measures were justified due to the repeated detection of quarantine objects in consignments supplied to Russia. At the same time, the restrictive measures imposed by the EU on planting material supplies are discriminative, as they do not take into account peculiarities of different regions in Russia.
Dankvert reminded that there were five to six countries in the EU interested in export of large consignments of planting material to Russia. The Rosselkhoznadzor is ready to review the conditions of export from each of these countries and to postpone the restrictions, and will arrange necessary consultations with representatives of the European Commission and plant quarantine and protection services of the European countries.
Speaking about the safety of commercial animal supplies, Dankvert noted that their free circulation in the European territory would create serious problems. The practice of Europe exporting pigs to countries bordering Russia, which later sell the pigs to Russia has been in existence. Miko suggested that Russia and EU combine efforts in the control of diseases such as swine fever.
Miko noted with satisfaction the increased mutual understanding on most critical issues for the cooperation between Russia and Europe on veterinary and phytosanitary surveillance.
