MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, a WTO panel said it found Russia's blanket ban on EU pork imports to be inconsistent with a number of WTO articles as well as the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Agreement (SPS). The panel said that the ban was discriminatory and in excess of what is required to reach appropriate levels of protection, as well as stating that a ban on certain products from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland is inconsistent with international animal health standards.
"Russia does not agree with the latest [WTO] conclusions, because they are neither grounded nor just. The possibility of an appeal to the WTO Appellate Body is very high. A corresponding decision will be made in the coming weeks, within the time limits set by the WTO procedures," the Ministry's representative told RIA Novosti.
Rosselkhoznadzor banned pork imports from EU member states in January, 2014, after an outbreak of the disease was recorded among pigs in Lithuania. Another outbreak has been recorded in Poland. Russia requested guarantees from EU authorities, which responded by calling the ban excessive and asked the WTO to form a panel to resolve the dispute.
