The European Union will respond by the end of March to Russian concerns over Polish meat quality and the threat of a wider trade stand-off between Moscow and the bloc, the EU's health chief said on Saturday. Moscow banned Polish meat and plant products more than a year ago on health grounds.
The EU has said it believes the ban is disproportionate, and Poland says that it is politically motivated. "We are still in the middle of technical discussions but I am optimistic that we are in a position to offer explanations which will convince the Russian side to lift the ban," Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference in Cyprus.
The row between Russia and Poland over meat imports is delaying talks on a new partnership pact between Moscow and the European Union. Russia has also raised concerns at EU meat quality guidelines and maximum residue levels of pesticides in plant products.
Russia has submitted its concerns in writing, Kyprianou said. "We believe we can provide our replies by the end of the coming week," he said, adding that he expected the EU to also address Moscow's broader concerns.
Earlier this month Russia threatened to ban some meat products if the EU did not provide data by the end of March for monitoring residues of dangerous and banned substances in live animals, products and feed. Kyprianou said the EU would comply with the Russian request.
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