Brussels, 30/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - Russia's Federal Agency for Veterinary and Plant Control has announced restrictions on pork imports against the whole of the EU due to an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in Lithuania.
This could heighten trade tension that is already considerable between the EU and Russia. The European Commission already has in its sights the recurrent restrictions imposed by Moscow on European imports of food and live animals for health reasons. Russia's ban on pork imports from Lithuania since the presence of the African swine fever virus was detected in two wild boar in the country (see EUROPE 11006), has not been limited to a single country but extended to the whole of the EU. In a press release conveyed by the Russian media on 30 January, the Russian agency for veterinary and plant control noted that, according to unofficial sources, an outbreak also affected Poland. “The EU has not confirmed this yet but we have all grounds to trust our sources”, the agency's spokesman said, adding that the ban may last for up to three years in accordance with a memorandum concluded in 2006.
“The Commission has been in contact with the Russian authorities since 24 January. We have taken emergency measures at European level to restrict imports from Lithuania”, Frédéric Vincent, the spokesman for EU Health Commissioner Tonio Borg said on Thursday. Measures adopted apply within the designated infected area. On 27 January, the Commission sent a team of experts to the spot where there were also Russia and Belarusian experts as well as experts from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). “We note that the Russian authorities have taken visible measures against EU imports. We are in contact with the Russian authorities for ensuring that such measures do not last”, the spokesman added. “It was expected that Russia would take measures. But we had not thought of a total ban on imports from the EU”, commented Agricultural Commissioner Dacian Ciolos for his part. “Commissioner Borg will contact the Russian authorities. On the basis of those discussions, we shall see what measures can be set in place. We have already taken measures to limit the movement of animals from Lithuania to the rest of Europe. We shall endeavour to convince the Russian authorities that these measures are serious, because we are directly concerned and wish to prevent the problem from spilling over”, he added.
Measures taken by the EU will be reviewed on 6 February by experts from the standing committee on the food chain and animal health (SCFCAH). On 24 January, Lithuania confirmed that the virus was present on two wild boar in the south-east of the country, close to the Belarusian border. A possible cause of infection is the movement of infected boar from Belarusia. (EH/transl.jl)