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Ukraine brings up ban of confectioneries supplies to Russia in WTO

KIEV, October 31 (Itar-Tass) - Ukraine reserves the right to discuss the ban of confectionaries supplies to Russia within the World Trade Organisation (WTO), said Svetlana Zaitseva, a representative of the Economic Development and Trade Ministry’s department for cooperation with the WTO.

The ministry’s press service reported that Ukraine had raised this issue at a session of the WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade on Wednesday, October 30.

“Ukraine noted that this measure was not transparent, unjustified and discriminatory. The country reminded Russian experts of the obligations to give answers and official explanations in compliance with the WTO norms,” the press service said.

Ukraine “also urged Russia to immediately lift the ban on import because such measures could not be justified by the provisions of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade and Russia’s obligations while it entered the WTO”, the press service said.

The ministry said this issue had been considered at the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures on October 16-18.

At the end of July 2013 Rospotrebnadzor (the Russian Federal Service for the Protection of Consumer Rights) banned Roshen Confectionary Corporation’s goods export to Russia due to the quality problems. Officials from Rospotrebnadzor checked the Roshen confectionary company on October 22-25.

Russian experts said Roshen confectionaries “are being produced on the basis of normative documents, which were cancelled in Russia. The confectionaries do not correspond to modern requirements and to the quality”.

Russian experts also said milk processing factories of Vinnitsa Region supplied raw materials, which were banned in Russia. The experts added that supervision of raw materials and goods “don’t ensure the quality and security”.

Ukraine disagrees with the conclusions and considers them groundless. The Agrarian Policy and Foodstuffs Ministry said raw materials, used by Roshen, “went through all control procedures and got sanitary and hygienic conclusions”.

The ministry said, “This precedent can become a pretext to prohibit Ukrainian goods.”

The ministry added the Roshen confectionary “underwent certification in Russian corresponding institutions”.

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