Russia may ban German livestock, feed imports in Jan - Dankvert
MOSCOW. Dec 15 (Interfax) - The import of livestock and some types of feed into Russia from Germany may be banned after January 23, if the country's Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Oversight Service (Rosselkhoznadzor) and Germany's veterinary service are unable to settle a number of issues that have arisen recently, including the latest dioxin question.
"We have given our German colleagues until January 23 next year to provide convincing arguments that the service is working effectively and guarantees the safety of product delivered to Russia," Rosselkhoznadzor chief Sergei Dankvert told Interfax.
There are no such guarantees at this time, Dankvert said. "And if during the course of negotiations mutual understanding is not reached then we will make the decisions commensurate with the danger that livestock product from Germany presents," he said, adding that the issue at hand is the possibility of imposing restrictions on the import of German cattle and several kinds of feed after January 23, 2012.
As already reported, cattle imports could be banned due to outbreaks of the disease bluetongue.