Poland seeks EU support over Russia's import ban on meat products

Polish Agriculture Minister Andrzej Lepper asked his EU interlocutors in Brussels Monday to make joint efforts to persuade Russia into lifting its import ban on Polish meat products introduced last November, the Polish News Agency (PAP) reported on Monday.

Lepper, who is also Polish deputy prime minister, argued that the issue would have an impact on EU-Russian trade relations.

"We want the EU help to be firm, we want the EU to join in talks on unblocking the Russian market," Lepper was quoted as saying.

Poland was ready to meet all Russia's requirements, but Russia kept on adding new demands which were at variance with an EU-Russian accord on cooperative partnership signed in 1996, he said.

In particular, Poland questioned Russia's provision that all EU meat exports to Russia should be transported via the Polish-Russian border crossing in Bezledy.

The crossing would become jammed by endless long queues, Lepper said.

The EU Commission, while expressing "serious concerns" over the issue, agreed that Poland has met all the latest Russian requirements.

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