WTO Rules Against Russia in EU Pork Ban

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled in favor of the European Union in a dispute over Russia’s 2014 ban on the import of live pigs, fresh pork and other pig products following cases of African Swine Fever in some EU regions. The ban violated WTO rules on restricting trade based on sanitary and phytosanitary measures, the organization concluded. In an August 19, 2016, press release, the European Commission admitted that many of the products covered by the prohibition continue to be “restricted by a politically motivated ban imposed on EU agri-food products by Russia,” but noted that “the panel’s findings are of systemic importance, since they remind Russia about its international obligations and the fact that these cannot be arbitrarily ignored.” See EU Press Release, August 19, 2016.

Issue 615