"From 10 to 13 November, we are planning to consult with the European Commission due to the fact that the veterinary services of some European countries do not provide Russia with safety guarantees on their meat and livestock supplies," said the head of the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor), Sergei Dankvert.
       
       According to him, as shown by an inspection carried out by the Russian veterinarians, the lists of the European meat suppliers to Russia consist of some companies where production does not meet safety requirements. This applies to suppliers of meat and dairy products and livestock.
       
       "Tests showed the ineffectiveness of the provided assurances - nearly half of the companies included in the lists of suppliers of meat and dairy products do not meet Russia’s veterinary requirements," noted Dankvert.
       
       He also added that starting from December 1, Russia will revise the list of the European meat importers.
       
       
       According to Russian media, Rosselkhoznadzor has already invited heads of veterinary service of all the EU countries for the special consultations.
       
       Source: Meat International, October 27,2009.