Russian pork ban over swine flu 'unjustified': EU official
(BRUSSELS) - Russia's ban on pork products from Spain and parts of Canada due to swine flu is "unjustified" and should be lifted, a European Commission trade official said Tuesday.
"The European Commission regrets that the Russian competent authorities have taken unjustified measures which are in contradiction with internationally recognised guidelines," trade affairs spokesman Guellner Lutz said.
"The commission is in contact with the Russian authorities to urge them to reconsider the measure currently applied and will keep the Russian authorities informed of any relevant development," he said.
On Monday, Russia's food safety agency extended a ban on all meat products to a fourth US state and banned pork products from Spain and parts of Canada due to fears of swine flu.
The World Health Organisation and three other major organisations have denounced boycotts of pork over fears the meat could be a means of spreading the A(H1N1) virus, saying there was no evidence it was a source of infection.
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