World Trade Organization Shows Solidarity with EU Over Russia’s Pork Import Ban

22 Aug 2016 --- The European Union has been 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 imposed the ban on EU pig products more than two years ago in early 2014 following a limited number of African Swine Fever (ASF) cases in the EU close to the Belarus border.

A WTO panel has now ruled that Russia’s refusal to accept imports of certain EU products and the adapt EU-Russia import certificates accordingly amounts to an EU-wide import ban, and violates the rules of the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the SPS Agreement).

The Panel also criticized Russian bans on imports from Poland, Lithuania and Estonia. 

According to the EU, the ruling sends a “strong signal” to Russia, and all WTO members, about their obligation to respect international standards, particularly the principle of regionalization - this allows trade from individual areas of a country recognized as pest and disease-free, even if the health status in the rest of the country is not favorable. 

“The panel underlined that WTO Members can exercise their right to determine their appropriate levels of sanitary protection and to restrict imports accordingly on the basis of sanitary concerns only when this is done in line with WTO rules,” reads an EU statement.

“The EU has one of the world's most efficient animal health and food safety systems, including high detection levels and stringent risk management rules. The ruling confirms that the measures taken by Russia against the EU have little to do with any real sanitary or health risks. EU products are safe and there is thus no need for any country to maintain unjustified import restrictions.”

Trade continues to be restricted for most of the products in this case due to the politically motivated bad imposed on EU agri-good products two years ago in August 2014.
 
“Nevertheless, the panel's findings are of systemic importance, since they remind Russia about its international obligations and the fact that these cannot be arbitrarily ignored.

“The EU will continue to use WTO procedures to ensure that international trade rules are effectively respected. Indeed, the WTO dispute settlement remains the strongest option to tackle significant trade barriers and to thus increase legal certainty and predictability for trade.”

The WTO Panel report can be appealed within 60 days and if no appeal if filed it will be adopted and Russian will be bound to comply with the recommendation.