At a meeting of the World Trade Organisation on Friday, the European Union warned Russia over the ban on Lithuanian dairy imports, officials from the European Commission confirmed it to BNS.
“It seems to us that the measures are not proportional and are not scientifically justified,” says the EU statement read out at a meeting of the Council for Trade in Goods in the WTO in Geneva.
According to the EU statement, Russia introduced the ban on Lithuanian dairy products on 7 October 2013, but notified the WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Committee only on 11 October.
“This is in contradiction with the transparency obligations of Russia. We are looking into the justification provided by the Russian authorities,” the statement said.
Its contents was confirmed to BNS by the European Commission Representation in Lithuania.
“We are in touch with the Russian authorities concerned and hope that an early agreed solution can be found in order to stop this measure,” it added.
The statement was also supported by the United States.
Lithuania and EC officials believe Russia introduced trade restrictions on Lithuanian goods for political reasons as Lithuania, holding the EU presidency in the second half of this year, actively supports the Eastern Partnership programme aimed at bringing post-Soviet countries closer to the EU.
Meanwhile, Russia is trying to expand its influence in the post-Soviet space by strengthening the Customs Union already joined by Kazakhstan and Belarus.
Source: Lithuania Tribune