Brussels, 18/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 18 July, Russia took the decision to ban imports to its territory of fruit from Moldova, having detected the presence of a “dangerous insect pest”, the Oriental fruit moth, which has been discovered on certain products.
The Russian veterinary agency, Rosselkhoznadzor, sounded the alert. This ban applies to apples, apricots, peaches, nectarines, quinces, cherries, pears, grapes and sloes. The Oriental fruit moth is an insect which attacks fruit trees, particularly peach trees. On Wednesday, the Russian Ministry for the Economy announced that it had prepared a draft decree to increase customs duty, previously set at zero, on a number of Moldovan goods such as wine, meat, vegetables and cereals. Moscow disapproves of Moldova's signature, in June, of a free-trade agreement with the European Union and warned that Russia would take protective measures if the agreement should prove harmful to its economy. Moscow had already decided drastically to limit its imports of Moldovan meat, justifying its decision on the grounds of “serious infringements of veterinary and sanitary requirements”. Russia is often accused of using its commercial arsenal, often on health grounds, as a means of applying diplomatic pressure on its neighbours. (LC)