The Government of Russia (GOR) issued Resolution #761, which calls to harmonise Russian sanitary and epidemiological requirements, veterinary, sanitary and phytosanitary measures with international standards where Russian standards are more restrictive and are not science-based. Russia’s Ministry of Health and Social Development (MinHealth) and Ministry of Agriculture (MinAg) should establish procedures to compare Russian and international standards before 2010. The evaluation will take into consideration the requests of interested entities, including foreign governments.

Local authorities do not yet appear fully aware of how Resolution #716 will interact with either the Commission for the Development of Federal Sanitary-epidemiological Norms, located within MinHealth, or the Interagency Expert Commission, led by the MinAg and including MinHealth. Currently, the Commission for the Development of Federal Sanitary-epidemiological Norms is accepting applications from the scientific community and interested industries to establish such norms addressed in Resolution #761. Also currently, the Interagency Expert Commission is reviewing and seeking comments on a draft Federal Law regarding the Special Technical Regulation “On the Requirements for Poultry, Poultry Meat, Processed Poultry Products, their Production Process, and Handling.” The draft Federal Law in Russian can be found at the following website of the Russian Poultry Union.

Resolution #761 in Russian can be found at the following website of the Russian Government.

Unofficial Translation of GOR Resolution #761: [Begin Text]

Resolution of 28 September 2009, # 761 "On ensuring harmonization of Russian sanitary-epidemological requirements, veterinary-sanitary and phytosanitary measures with international standards".

With the purpose of improvement of the system of legal regulation in the area of protection of life and health of humans, animals and plants, further harmonization with international standards of sanitary and epidemiological requirements, veterinary, sanitary and phytosanitary measures in force in Russia with international standards, the Government of the Russian Federation stipulates:

1. Determine that legal acts, establishing sanitary-epidemiological requirements, veterinary-sanitary and phytosanitary measures are subject to expertise for their compliance with the standards, recommendations and other documents of international organizations, including the World Health Organization, Codex Alimentarius Commission, World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and corresponding international and regional organizations, which are acting within the framework of the International Plant Protection Convention (hereafter referred to as expert evaluation and international standards)
   
   
2. Legal acts establishing sanitary and epidemiological requirements, veterinary, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, which, as a result of the expert evaluation have restrictive character compared to international standards, without scientific basis of such restriction or risk level for life or health of humans, animals and plants, are subject to be brought in compliance with international standards.
   
   
3. The Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation shall:
   • within 3 months from the effective date of this Resolution develop and approve the order of carrying out an expert evaluation within their competence;
     
     
   • ensure the carrying out of the expert evaluation is on the basis of written requests from interested entities, including the governments of foreign countries, with their possible participation in its implementation or upon their initiative. Within 30 days from the receipt of a written request, the corresponding federal executive entity shall acknowledge the receipt of the request to the requesting party.
   
   
   
4. The present Resolution becomes effective of the date of its official publication.

Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation V.Putin [End Text]

Source: USDA GAIN Report

*January-September

Source: Department of Commerce, US Census, Foreign Trade Statistics

Belarus Trade with Russia

Ministers of Agriculture of Russia and Belarus, Elena Skrynnik and Semen Shapiro have agreed that the export/import balance between the countries for 2010 in sugar, meat and dairy products will be sustained at the 2009 level. According to the agreement, in 2010 Belarusian agricultural producers are planning to export to Russia 2.8 million MT of dairy products, including 116,000 MT of cheese and cottage cheese, 50,000 MT of butter and 84,000 MT of milk. In turn, Russia will export to Belarus 60,000 MT of milk and dairy products.

Exports of sugar from Belarus to Russia in 2010 will be sustained at the same level as in 2009 and is estimated at 150,000 MT. Belarus will export to Russia 145,000 MT of meat and meat products, including: 20,000 MT of pork, 90,000 MT of beef, 8,000 MT of poultry and 27,000 MT of other meat products. Russia will export to Belarus about 3,000 MT of poultry and products.

Source: National Statistics Committee of Belarus
Source: USDA GAIN Report

Further Reading

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