MOSCOW/GENEVA: TASS/ The EU was able to convene an arbitration group to resolve the dispute between the European Union and Russia in the WTO due to restrictions on imports of pork, the Russian Federation continues to insist on the groundlessness of EU claims, Russian Ministry of Economic Development said in a statement on Wednesday.
“As previously reported, at the first meeting of the dispute resolution, Russia blocked the establishment of a panel within the dispute ‘The Russian Federation measures against the import of live pigs, pork and other pork products.’ However, according to WTO rules, the panel is automatically established in case of second appeal. Therefore, a dispute panel was established at a meeting on November 21,” the statement read.
Russia continues to insist on the groundlessness of this step by the EU and proceeds from the full and timely implementation of the decision on the dispute, the ministry stressed.
A sales representative in Geneva, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed this information to journalists. “The LFS agreed with the European Union’s second request to create a panel of arbitrators to determine whether Russia had fulfilled the earlier decision that slammed the Russian ban on the import of live pigs and pig products from Lithuania, Poland, Latvia and Estonia, as well as EU ban on the import of live pigs and certain types of pig products,” the source said.