"Our veterinary and phytosanitary services have never been used for the attainment of political goals", he said.
Dankvert noted that this cannot be said of many WTO members, "which apply against each measures targeting a reduction of products entering the market". "Nobody sets us political goals", he stressed.
"Our service is under no pressure. All our decisions are based on would-be risks", Dankvert said, meaning bans on plant-growing and animal-breeding imports to Russia.
He also said that the ban on the import of plant-growing products from Belgium and Denmark to Russia is planned to be lifted on April 20.
From that time on, plant-growing products will arrive from these countries in the accompaniment of the single phytosanitary certificates approved between Russia and the European Union.
At the present time, a three-month transitional period is in operation, during which countries of the European Union will finally pass to a single phytosanitary certificate. Beginning in June 1, only products having this certificate will be allowed into Russia.
