Fianna Fáil MEPs who met the Russian chief negotiator dealing with a possible ban on European beef exports to Russia were assured by him that his country was looking for a diplomatic solution to the problem.
The proposed ban on EU beef exports arose due to difficulties concerning the Russian ban on Polish meat exports and, as a result of this, the Polish government vetoed the signing of an EU-Russian partnership deal last week.
The four Fianna Fáil MEPs - Brian Crowley, Liam Aylward, Seán Ó Neachtain and Eoin Ryan - met the Russian ambassador to the EU institutions, Vladimir Chizhov, who is leading the negotiations.
The purpose of the meeting was to give the Irish MEPs an opportunity to lobby the Russian government against imposing a ban on beef exports from Ireland and Europe into Russia.
Mr Aylward, a member of the agriculture committee in the European Parliament, said the Russian government had warned that if the problem of Polish beef exports to Russia was not sorted out, then a complete ban on EU beef exports into Russia would be imposed next January.
Mr Crowley said the Russians were using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. "We can solve the problem of the ban on Polish beef exports to Russia through diplomatic means.We can then also ensure that a Russia-EU partnership deal can be signed," he said.
Mr Ó Neachtain said Irish food exports to Russia amounted to €100 million per year and beef exports alone accounted for €40 million worth of business this year. "This is Ireland's largest market for food exports outside the territories of the European Union. This is a growing market and it a is a market that must be protected," he said.
Mr Ryan said food exports would double to Russia by the year 2009, bringing the level of their total food imports to €22 billion.
A statement from the MEPs said Mr Chizhov said he was satisfied that Irish beef and food products were of the highest quality and that the Russian government wanted to solve this issue diplomatically.
They quoted him as saying that technical issues needed to be sorted out. "This matter is going to take time to resolve."
