Rosselkhoznadzor returns 230,000 tonnes of Spanish fruit marked for Crimea to Ukraine
MOSCOW. Aug 20 (Interfax) - Rosselkhoznadzor, the Russian agricultural watchdog, has returned 230,000 tonnes of Spanish fruit to Ukraine that was being shipped to Crimea.
According to the service administration for Crimea and Sevastopol, the shipment was made after the imposition of the "food embargo" on fruits and vegetables from EU countries.
From August 8-18, inspectors have returned about 408 tonnes of controlled products to Ukraine. In particular, 121.2 tonnes of vegetables were not allowed into Crimea, of which 44.1 tonnes were intended to be brought in without supporting documents. Furthermore, 25.6 tonnes of grain crops, 30.1 tonnes of cereals and 470 kilograms of spices were not allowed on the peninsula because the shipments were sent without supporting documents.
According to the service, a constantly working executive body for an interagency commission was created and put to work on the territory of the peninsula. This working group reviews issues connected with the transportation of goods on Crimean territory. It was created to identify attempts at illegally transporting goods to Russia through Crimean ports. In particular, specialists from the Rosselkhoznadzor administration for Crimea and Sevastopol's department of quarantined phytosanitary surveillance on the borders of the Russian Federation are part of the working group.