Russia and the European Commission have signed an agreement ending the threats from Moscow to ban all EU meat products following Romania and Bulgaria's accession on January 1.

The deal, which was reached in December, gives guarantees that Romania and Bulgaria are applying EU law.

"This should avoid further disturbances of trade in animals and animal products by the EC and the Russian Federation," European Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou, Russian Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev and his German counterpart Horst Seehofer said in a statement.

Kyprianou said it had "averted an EU-wide trade ban". He added that the commission had also made progress in talks with Moscow aimed at ending a Russian embargo on Polish meat products.

That trade row, along with Moscow's refusal to ratify an energy charter, has seen Poland veto the start of negotiations between the EU and Russia on a new partnership deal.

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