Energy row could lead to Russian ban on Irish meat

RUSSIA is threatening to ban Irish and other EU meat imports from January in the latest twist in a complex political game centred around energy.

Russia is Ireland’s largest market for beef outside the EU, importing over 25,000 tonnes last year.

The row is threatening to scuttle plans for a new EU Trade and Association Agreement with Russia due to be launched at a summit in Helsinki between the two blocs on Friday.

For the past year Russia has an embargo on Polish meat that Poland says is costing them €400m a year.

The Russian authorities said they discovered US liver and Indian buffalo meat labelled as Polish beef and exported from Poland last year. They have made a range of demands on the Poles to reverse the ban.

Russia earlier this month told the European Commission they would ban all meat from the EU once Romania and Bulgaria join the union in January. Food production and processing in both countries meets EU standards except for the regions where there is classical swine fever; an outbreak of Blue Tongue in sheep in one area of Bulgaria and a number of food processing plants that may not put food on the market until they comply with the standards.

“We have had over 50 inspections in Romania and Bulgaria since 2003 and they are meeting EU requirements. Russia has no reason for concern,” said Philip Tod, EC spokesman on Health and Consumer Affairs.

But Russia has issued a series of demands, including that all produce must have a certificate stating what pesticides and other chemicals and the quantities used in their production.

“This is impossible. We have regulated the kinds of pesticides that can be used and we test for residue to ensure they do not exceed safe limits. But there is no way we can provide the kind of information they are seeking,” said Mr Tod.

Farming bodies and the Department of Agriculture were calm about the Russian threats yesterday. A spokesperson for the department said Ireland had agreed its own system of certification with Russia a number of years ago. This followed a Russian ban on Irish produce after rotten and inferior meat was found in cans exported to Russia.

“We have received no request for changes in the certification and we do not expect any threat,” he said.

Some EU diplomats disagree and believe that Russia could ban all EU food.

Russia’s threats are seen as part of the on-going negotiations on energy and pipelines and as an effort to put pressure on the EU and individual member states.

Ukraine — an important player in the energy area — has joined Russia in the Polish meat ban.