Russia considering ban on German poultry imports

Russia is considering banning imports of poultry from Germany after the registration of several outbreaks of bird flu in the country, Sergey Dankvert the head of Russian veterinary watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor, stated at a recent press conference.

Dankvert also expressed an intention to request the deputy head of the General Directorate for Health and Consumers of the European Commission (DG SANCO) Ladislav Miko, to keep him informed about the spread of the disease, “Because German colleagues is not hurry to do this by themselves.”

“It is likely that we will be forced to join the ban imposed recently by the US on the supply of poultry meat from Germany,” he said.

Rosselkhoznadzor reported that according to General Directorate for Health and Consumers of the European Commission (DG SANCO) cases of bird low-pathogenic influenza (H5N2, and H5N3) subject to mandatory declaration were detected on poultry farms in Germany (Schleswig-Holstein and Hesse).

On January 22, the import of poultry from Germany was restricted by the veterinary services of Belarus. The country banned imports of poultry only from the regions where the outbreaks were reported. However, Rosselkhoznadzor intends to completely ban all poultry production from Germany and the same restrictions automatically will be put in place in Kazakhstan and Belarus, according to the agreement on the Custom Union members’ trade cooperation signed in 2012.

The final decision on the ban will be taken in coming days and will mostly depend on the reaction of DG SANCO as well as the German veterinary services.