News on the import of pork from Poland to Lithuania

Marta Otto, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Lodz, Poland, shares with us important news on the pork market in Poland.

Lithuania intends to have a closer look at the pigs and pork meat imported from Poland. Relevant decision was announced by the head of the Lithuanian State Food and Veterinary Control Service Darius Remeik. Notably, it comes as a reaction to the ban on the Polish import of pork from Lithuania, valid from the middle of December 2018, from restricted areas (the so-called ASF red zones). The Lithuanian Minister of Agriculture Giedrius Surplys said a few days ago that if the problem cannot be resolved amicably, Lithuania will take revenge steps. At the same time, he noted that “our exports to Poland are ten times smaller than exports of pork from Poland to Lithuania”. Remeika pointed out that according to EU law, the parties may trade pork from ASF zones, if an appropriate agreement was concluded. According to the head of the Lithuanian veterinary service, such an agreement with Poland for a period of six months was concluded at the end of November 2018, and in December Poland broke it.