Russia to decide whether to ban potatoes from EU after Russia-EU summit - regulator
MOSCOW. May 27 (Interfax) - Russia's Veterinary and Phytosanitary Oversight Service Rosselkhoznadzor has postponed its decision to ban supplies of potatoes, seedlings and potted plants from the European Union until after the Russia-EU summit, which is scheduled for June 3-4 in Yekaterinburg.
"A decision to impose restrictions on supplies of potatoes and other plant products has been postponed to a later date because this topic will be discussed at the Russia-EU summit," Rosselkhoznadzor chief Sergei Dankvert told Interfax.
This problem will be touched upon at a meeting with technical experts from the EU in Moscow on Tuesday, as well as at negotiations with the European Commission's Deputy Director-General for DG Health and Consumer Policy Ladislav Miko. These talks are scheduled for the end of the month in Paris, where the 81st general session of the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) is currently under way, Dankvert said.
"At present, the greatest concern is caused by supplies of potatoes and planting material from nurseries that are not certified by Rosselkhoznadzor, which is why negotiations will be held with the representative of the EC in the framework of the decision [to ban supplies], which is nearing adoption," he said. "The decision will be formalized after the Russia-EU summit," he added.
However, Dankvert noted that the decision will hinge on measures undertaken by the EU to guarantee safe supplies of potatoes and other plant products to Russia. He said it should also be taken into consideration that back in 2000 the EU banned imports of Russian planting materials without any scientific or technical grounds and, despite repeated reminders, it never provided justification for its actions. Rosselkhoznadzor's attempts to get information on disease-free and pest-free zones in the EU have been futile, even though international phytosanitary standards indicate that such information has to be provided, Dankvert said.
