The EU has today launched a case in the World Trade Organization (WTO) against the Russian ban on imports of pigs, fresh pork and certain pig products from the EU.
Russia closed its market to the EU – cutting off almost 25 per cent of all EU exports – at the end of January 2014. It based its decision on four isolated cases of African Swine Fever detected in wild boar at the Lithuanian and Polish borders with Belarus.
This trade ban has exposed the EU farming sector to significant losses. Bilateral discussions with Moscow have not brought any results thus far.
Given that there seems to be no solution forthcoming, the EU has decided to resort to the WTO's dispute settlement procedures by requesting formal consultations with Russia.
