EU Warns Russia against Meat Ban Plans after Romania, Bulgaria Join

Politics » BULGARIA IN EU | December 14, 2006, Thursday // 00:00

The European Union warned Russia against plans to ban meat imports from the entire 25-nation bloc as of January 1, 2007, when Bulgaria and Romania will join, dpa reported.

The European Commission - the EU's executive arm - also reiterated its disagreement with Russian efforts to clinch food security deals with individual EU states to let in such imports from specific countries.

"We have told the Russians this is unacceptable and that they should be talking to the EU as a whole," said EU spokesman Philip Tod.

Tod said that although several EU countries including Germany, had been approached to sign such an agreement, no government had as yet taken up the offer.

"EU countries have agreed to coordinate their positions," the spokesman said, adding that the commission had reminded Russia and EU states that such bilateral agreements would not be in line with the bloc's policy.

"There is also the political question of whether this would be wise," said Tod, adding: "The EU is stronger when it puts up a united front."

After a ban on Polish meat product, officials in Moscow said the reason for their planned EU-wide ban - which encompasses dairy and fish products, in addition to meat - was lax veterinary standards in Romania and Bulgaria.

European Union food safety experts fired back and tightened rules on Bulgaria and Romania to restrict their milk, meat and animal exports into other EU countries from January 1.

The EU executive move apparently aimed to please Moscow and make a step towards resolving the dispute over meat imports.

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