Monday, July 4, 2011

Russia to lift EU vegetables ban: European Commission

(BRUSSELS) - The European Union executive Wednesday insisted Russia will immediately lift a costly ban slapped on EU vegetables due to a deadly E.cola outbreak, brushing aside counter-claims in Moscow.

"I can confirm exports will resume from tomorrow from Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland," European Commission spokesman Frederic Vincent told AFP.

The EU spokesman spoke after the head of Russia's consumer protection watchdog said an EU announcement of an imminent end to the ban, which affects 25 percent of Europe's total vegetable exports, was "exaggerated".

"As far as the claim that it will happen immediately, these rumours are exaggerated," Rospotrebnadzor chief Gennady Onishchenko told the Interfax news agency after a Moscow round of negotiations aimed at ending the ban.

Russia introduced its embargo on June 2 after the E. coli outbreak in Germany. Amid outrage from Europe's fruit and vegetable farmers, the two sides agreed at a June 10 summit to move toward a certification system, paving the wave to a resumption of trade.

About a fifth of Russia's vegetable imports come from the 27-nation bloc.

Europe's vegetable exports to Russia bring in 600 million euros a year, mainly from Poland, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Belgium.

Vincent earlier said an agreement had been signed during the morning between the EU and Russia.

"We are heading towards an immediate resumption of exports of European vegetables," he said.

"Exports will be able to resume this week, maybe tomorrow," he added.

The EU would supply Russian authorities "temporarily" with laboratory "surveillance and verification" certificates detailing that the products were safe and were not carriers of the deadly bacteria.

Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland have already put E.coli 104 monitoring systems in place with certificates ready for their vegetables.

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