According to Bernama.com, Kittirat told reporters that the Thai ambassador to Brussels, as well as Thai agriculture and commerce authorities recently met John Dalli, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, to discuss the EU's import ban on Thai fresh chicken and some other Thai food products.

Kittirat quoted the European Commissioner as saying that the EU was satisfied with conditions of Thailand's poultry facilities and food safety measures and is unlikely to renew its ban on Thai fresh chicken exports in mid 2012, noting, however, that all EU member states have yet to approve the stance and, in the meantime, the European commissioner urged Thailand to treat EU products exported to Thailand accordingly, including beef and some fruits.

According to the Thai deputy premier, he had discussed the EU fresh chicken ban at many forums and also met European Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht during the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva last December, and wrote to three European commissioners tasked with health, consumer protection, trade and agriculture, asking them to lift the ban against the Thai food products right away.

The deputy premier said he was glad with the latest development and believed that the cancellation of the ban would allow Thailand to restore market shares in the major EU market and would also raise demand for Thai farm produce and earnings for Thai farmers.