Romania's Agriculture Minister Valeriu Tabara has denied any claims that his country may have deliberately confiscated the import as an act of revenge. File photo
What has been described as a "tulip war" declared by Romanian authorities on the Netherlands will continue for a while, Romanian media have reported.
In a move seen by many as a retaliation to the Dutch decision to veto the country's Schengen accession bid, Romanian authorities seized 15 Dutch lorries carrying tulips and bulbs on Monday, claiming the bulbs and seeds could be contaminated with "dangerous bacteria".
On Wednesday, it was announced the lab results that should determine whether the seeds and bulbs are contaminated will take three days to come out, or after Thursday's EU Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting on which Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen fate will be decided, the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency has informed.
A spokesman for the Dutch Economic Ministry said his government had asked for an explanation as to why the shipments were halted, and was waiting for a response, BBC has reported.
Romania's Agriculture Minister Valeriu Tabara has denied any claims that his country may have deliberately confiscated the import as an act of revenge, stating the country wants to defend its territory against "certain pathological agents."
On Wednesday, it was revealed that Finland will follow the Netherlands' examples and veto Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen accession,