Norway has decided to bar Russian inspectors from visiting its samon farms / Photo from Alamy
Norway's Mattilsynet, or the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, has decided to deny Russian Rosselkhoznadzor vet and biosecurity inspectors' access to its salmon and trout farms, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
Rosselkhoznadzor press secretary Yulia Melano told RIA Novosti that Mattilsynet, "without giving any reasons," banned the inspectors' visit to 14 Norwegian salmon and trout farms, although the checks had been agreed beforehand.
A notification of Rosselkhoznadzor about the denial was first sent by Chief Veterinary Officer of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority Kristina Landsverk, and then by the Norwegian Embassy in Moscow.
"The Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway expresses its respect and has the honor to announce that the Norwegian authorized agencies have decided that holding inspections in Norway next week is inappropriate amid the current situation," Melano quoted the Embassy's letter.
"The way the Norwegian colleagues act is unprecedented over the entire history of Rosselkhoznadzor's inspections conducted at enterprises located in third countries," she said.
According to her, the notification arrived the day before the Russian delegation was about to leave for Oslo to start work there on August 24 and when Rosselkhoznadzor's inspectors were being briefed on their tasks.
She claimed that previous checks conducted by Rosselkhoznadzor had revealed that the vast majority of enterprises selected for the inspection were not ready to fulfill safety requirements set by the legislation of Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). This, in turn, led to the introduction of subsequent limitations on their activity.
"The fact that Mattilsynet is trying to avoid inspections looks like the behavior of an ostrich that buries its head in the sand at danger. The EAEU's decision regulating the procedure of inspections in third countries grants an authorized veterinary authority initiating such checks – it's Rosselkhoznadzor in our case – the right to impose temporary restrictions on supplies by companies that have been shunning inspection. And this will be done from August 24, 2015," she added.
As UNIAN reported earlier, on August 7, 2015, the Russian authorities banned foods supplies from the countries that had supported anti-Russian sanctions. Among the countries facing Russia's counter-sanctions are the United States, the EU countries, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Japan, and Norway.