Dacian Ciolos told the BBC that for a few more years the EU would not require the stunning of animals in Romania. Pigs and lambs have their throats slit in Romania for Christmas and Easter celebrations, respectively.

Most Romanian farmers rear only a few pigs.

The European Union has banned pork exports from Romania because swine fever has been a recurrent problem.

Mr Ciolos said he had persuaded EU officials by citing other exemptions for animal slaughtering in Europe.

"The issue I raised was why the Spaniards' killing of bulls in an arena should not be considered an infringement of animal welfare rules, while our traditional way of sacrificing animals for Christmas and Easter should be," Mr Ciolos told the BBC Romanian Service.

Food safety

Most Romanian pig farmers rear only small numbers of animals and slaughter them a few days before Christmas, selling the meat at markets.

EU law stipulates that animals must be killed in a way which avoids unnecessary suffering.

Animal health and food safety standards have been major concerns since Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union on 1 January 2007.