Talks between Deputy Head of Rosselkhoznadzor Yevgeny Nepoklonov and EU Ambassador Vygaudas Ušackas

The representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Agriculture as well as Rosselkhzonadzor specialists also took part in the talks, reports www.megafishnet.com with reference to Rosselkhoznadzor.

Opening the talks Yevgeny Nepoklonov noted the commitment of the Rosselkhoznadzor to the enhancement of international cooperation in biological and food safety assurance. In his turn Vygaudas Ušackas stressed a great interest of the European Union in resumption of agricultural product export to Russia, in particular of pork, ware potatoes and Polish apples.

Speaking about the possibility of pork export resumption from the EU countries Yevgeny Nepoklonov explained that it is possible only if the veterinary certificate is issued by the national veterinary certificate of the EU exporting country with the indication that the concerned country has been free from African swine fever for the last three years. This is the case for export of pork products from Finland to Honk Kong and China, from Italy to New Zealand, from Austria to Korea, from Belgium to Korea and China and etc. At the same time the European Commission does not allow the countries interested in export of pork products to the Russian market to issue such bilateral certificates. According to Vygaudas Ušackas pork must be exported from the whole EU territory, not from individual countries based on the regionalization. Yevgeny Nepoklonov noted that the said principle is not acceptable due to the fact that African swine fever is spreading in the EU territory with the speed of 100 km per year while there is no effective traceability system and abstract guarantees covering the whole EU territory are more than doubtful. Yevgeny Nepoklonov reminded that the guarantees in the form of the veterinary certificate are given by the head of the veterinary service of a concerned country, but not by the European Commission. In response to Vygaudas Ušackas’ proposal to arrange a meeting on the technical level Yevgeny Nepoklonov noted that such meetings are held at least every one or two months. Yevgeny Nepoklonov also expressed his regret over the fact that notwithstanding numerous requests of the Rosselkhoznadzor related to control of food smuggling from the European Union, the European Commission has never provided the Russian party with the requested information.

Speaking about the resumption of seed and ware potatoe export from the EU to Russia Vygaudas Ušackas expressed his opinion that restrictive measures taken by the Rosselkhoznadzor are excessive and unprecedented. Yevgeny Nepoklonov noted that such measures have been imposed on numerous occasions in relation to Egypt, Pakistan and Bangladesh and moreover the European Union itself regularly imposes such measures. Herewith the risks are similar both for seed and ware potatoes. Yevgeny Nepoklonov reminded that currently seed potatoes from the EU countries can be imported only after inspection of the growing sites by the Rosselkhoznadzor specialists.

In relation to the possibility of fish product export resumption from the Baltic countries Yevgeny Nepoklonov noted that a lot would depend on the results of the inspection of Lithuanian and Latvian fish processing plants by the Rosselkhoznadzor specialists in the beginning of April, current year. When Yevgeny Nepoklonov was asked if it was possible to resume apple export from Poland he answered that this product is under restrictions due to economic sanctions imposed by Russia in response to restrictions introduced by several western countries.