Copa Cogeca Speaks of Russian Pork Import Ban and Urges Speedy Resolution
01 Sep 2016 --- Last month the European Union was backed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) which has declared the Russian import ban on live pigs, fresh pork and other pig products illegal.
Russia has banned imports from EU pig producers since early 2014 after a limited number of African Swine Fever (ASF) cases in the EU, close to the border with Belarus. But a WHO panel has ruled that Russia’s refusal to accept imports violates the rules of the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement).
Speaking with FoodIngredientsFirst European farming group Copa Cogeca explains the state of play for European farmers.
“The main reason behind the fact that Russia banned all EU pork products and not just the infected regions after outbreaks of ASF emerged was because the EU and Russia could not agree on the new veterinary export certificates after the cases emerged. Before the outbreaks, the certificates stated that the EU is free to export to the EU apart from Sardinia. With the new outbreaks, the EU believes that the excluded countries should include regions infected with ASF but the Russians want it also to include all countries on the borders of the infected regions which is against World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) rules,” says a spokesman.
“So without an agreement, Russia has banned all EU countries from exporting. If an agreement could be reached on the certificates, it would allow a resumption in trade of EU fats and lard to Russia from non-infected EU regions which is estimated to cause a price rise of five-10 cents/kg of pigmeat and therefore prevent more pigmeat producers from going out of business.”
The ban imposed due to ASF covers around 96 percent of EU pork products, while the political ban imposed later in the year covers around 60 percent of EU pork products, so if the ASF ban was reduced to cover only the affected regions it would make a big difference, according to Copa Cogeca.
The WTO Panel report can be appealed within 60 days and if no appeal is filed it will be adopted and Russia will be bound to comply with the recommendation.
“We hope that the Russians do not appeal against the decision and that an agreement can be reached between the two sides on the veterinary certificates so that trade in fats and lard can resume.”
“Since Russia imposed the ban on EU pork products, prices went down dramatically also because production was high at that time. Prices are the lowest they have been in eleven years and below production costs as Russia used to import 24 percent of the EU’s exports.”
“Producers do not have enough money to pay off their loans. It is therefore important to kick start trade in fats and lards as we have not been able to find equivalent markets for these products.”
by Gaynor Selby
