Russia set to expand ban on European meat imports

However, analysts suggest this step indicates Rosselkhoznadzor plans to expand imports of pork and live pigs, and restrict imports of other types of meat, including some processed meat products, from a number of European countries.

"We’re going to reduce the number of cold storages that sell pork meat from European countries included in the African swine fever (ASF) risk zone,"​ said Lavrovskiy.

The countries of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland may be the first to lose their cold storage meat export rights to Russia, added a department spokesperson. 

Danger of falsification​

Following the results of a recent inspection, the Russian veterinary watchdog is concerned about meat product falsification, which it believes might take place in some European countries’ cold storages.

"Rosselkhoznadzor is already preparing an appeal to colleagues from the European Commission to review the status of cold storages used for shipments to Russia and engaged in the repackaging of meat products,"​ the spokesperson said.

"Operating from simple warehouses, cold storages become places where it is very easy to fake products,"​ claimed Lavrovskiy.

On two occasions in March 2014, Russian veterinarians discovered that Lithuanian cold storages had issued fake certificates for meat exports that had been imported by Lithuania itself from a third country.

Focus on cold storages​

Rosselkhoznadzor has been paying a lot of attention to cold storages of late. Earlier, the veterinary watchdog reversed its decision to remove a ban on meat imports to Russia from the USA, following a suspicion from Russian veterinarians that the US cold storages might be involved in some form of falsification.

However, experts fear a new ban on meat imports from refrigeration companies may finally cause a collapse in the Russian meat market, which is experiencing a shortage of supply, as well as a rapid increase in prices.

The issue has been discussed at a meeting between Paola Testori Coggi, the director general of DG Health and Consumers, and Sergei Dankvert, head of Rosselkhoznadzor, on 14 March in Madrid, but no progress has been achieved so far. Meanwhile, Russia says the restrictions, if implemented, may apply to all cold storages approved under the guarantees of veterinary services. "And 90% of Europe’s cold storages have been accredited under the guarantee of the European Community,"​ concluded Lavrovskiy.