MOSCOW, (PNA/Itar-Tass) — The Russian Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Monitoring Service (Rosselkhoznadzor) together with Norwegian colleagues plan creating a joint electronic system to control quality of Norwegian fish products supplied to Russia and countries of the Customs Union (CU), Rosselkhoznadzor’s press service stated Friday.
The press service commented on results of the Sept. 5 meeting of the two countries’ chief veterinary officers Yevgeny Nepoklonov and Kristina Landsverk.
Russia’s veterinary watchdog proposed negotiations at the level of both States’ chief veterinary officers to work out steps aimed at ensuring safety of Norwegian fish products delivered to Russia and CU countries as a top priority measure for protecting the Russian market from dangerous food products from Norway.
It is particularly planned to create a joint electronic system for monitoring any batch of such products in the online mode.
“The sides agreed that the Russian-Norwegian dialogue at the level of the chief veterinary officers on creation of a system guaranteeing safety of Norwegian fish products delivered to the Russian market is needed. The next talks will be held in Moscow during the Golden Autumn international agro-industrial exhibition in October,” the press service said.
The meeting was held in Lithuania on the side of an international seminar on fighting classical and African swine fever.
The Rosselkhoznadzor official familiarized the Norwegian colleague about numerous cases involving violation of Russia’s and CU legislation during deliveries of chilled fish, detected during state border inspections, in the course of laboratory monitoring for product safety as well as by the inspection of Norwegian fish processing plants.
Russia’s chief veterinary officer expressed serious concern over the “extremely non-constructive position” of the Norwegian authorized body Mattylsinet which is responsible for veterinary certification of supplied Norwegian fish products.