EU suspends imports of poultry meat from Ukraine

The European Union has suspended imports of Ukrainian poultry meat due to the detection of avian influenza in the country, the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection has reported.

"According to an operational report received from the European Commission last night, imports of poultry meat, meat products and non-heat-treated poultry products from Ukraine have been suspended. However, eggs and egg products are not subject to these restrictions," the report reads.

Taking into account the reports of numerous equivalence assessment missions, the results of negotiations and preliminary agreements, the aforementioned EU decision is extremely unexpected for the Ukrainian side, the agency said.

The State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection said that, in accordance with its international obligations, Ukraine, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), promptly informed its international trading partners of an avian influenza case.

"Ukrainian measures for the control and eradication of bird flu have been recognized as equivalent to those implemented by EU member states," the agency said.