NAN-F-58
Importation
Geneva, Feb. 23, 2017 (dpa/NAN) The World Trade Organisation (WTO) upheld its opinion that Russia’s ban on pork imports from the European Union violates free trade rules in a decision on Thursday that struck down Moscow’s appeal.
Russia decided in early 2014 to close its market to live pigs and pork products from the EU.
This decision was taken after cases of African swine fever were detected in wild boars on the Lithuanian and Polish borders with Belarus.
At the time, Russia accounted for almost a quarter of EU pork exports, according to the European Commission.
In its appeal against the WTO’s decision from August, Moscow disputed that the EU had provided evidence that some EU areas were free of the pig disease.
The WTO’s dispute settlement panel in Geneva said that Moscow should bring its measures in line with international animal sanitation rules.
However, most of the pig products banned for hygienic reasons also fall under Moscow’s standing embargo against EU food products, retaliation against EU sanctions that punish Moscow for its role in the Ukraine conflict. (dpa/NAN)
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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Ese E. Ekama