Source: Michael Fielding, MEATINGPLACE, 8/22/16


A World Trade Organization (WTO) panel has declared illegal the Russian import ban on live pigs, fresh pork and other pig products from the European Union, citing international trade rules.

The ruling comes in light of a ban imposed by Russia in early 2014 because of a limited number of cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) in areas in the EU close to the border with Belarus.

The panel acknowledged that Russia's refusal to accept imports of certain EU products and to adapt EU-Russia import certificates accordingly amounts to an EU-wide import ban. According to the European Commission, the measure is not based on relevant international standards and violates the rules of the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the SPS Agreement).

The ruling sends a strong signal to Russia about its obligation to respect international standards as well as the principle of regionalization (which would allow trade from individual areas of a country that are recognized as pest or disease-free, according to the European Commission) and the requirement to conduct a risk assessment based on scientific evidence.

Russia’s demand for imported meat also has declined in recent years due to a weak currency and lack of consumer spending.
The ruling “confirms that the measures taken by Russia against the EU have little to do with any real sanitary or health risks,” according to a statement from the EU. “For most of the products dealt with in this case, trade continues to be restricted by a politically motivated ban imposed on EU agri-food products by Russia in August 2014.”

The panel report can be appealed within 60 days. If no appeal is filed within that deadline, the report will be adopted and Russia will be bound to comply with the recommendation.

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