Quarantine control of food products on the Kyrgyz-Kazakhstani border is a violation of the EEU norms – Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Agriculture

Almaty. August 5. Silkroadnews –  The quarantine phytosanitary control of food products introduced by the Kazakhstani side on the Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan border, officials of Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Agriculture believes, is a violation of the EEU norms, KyrTAG reports.

“Introduction of quarantine phytosanitary control on the Kyrgyz-Kazakhstani state border in regard to the quarantined goods from Kyrgyzstan passing through the territory of Kazakhstan to other EEU member states is a violation of the norms established by the Regulation on the procedure for phytosanitary quarantine control on the EEU customs territory”, the officials of plants quarantine agency of chemization and plant protection department of the Ministry of agriculture, irrigation and food processing (MAIFP) of Kyrgyzstan say.

MAIFP of Kyrgyzstan also gave clarifications on return of more than 300 tonnes of agricultural products passing from Kyrgyzstan to Kazakhstan.

“On settlement of this issue on June 19-21 of this year there was a meeting held with participation of  representatives of two countries’ ministries of agriculture to get acquainted with the system of quarantine phytosanitary control and laboratory support of Kazakhstan’s quarantine phytosanitary measures, as well as to carry out cross-reference research of control samples of quarantine objects chosen in batches of regulated products in the course of import from the Kyrgyz Republic”, the department representatives reported.

Following the meeting it was established that the Kazakhstani side did not make a decision to remove the quarantine phytosanitary control on the Kazakhstani-Kyrgyz border area and established a quarantine laboratory at the border crossing “Korday”; when getting acquainted with partially provided primary documentation of phytosanitary control on notifications and operation by the phytosanitary control checkpoint at the border crossing “Kara-Suu” it was found out that in two cases the quarantine laboratory at the border crossing “Korday” did not confirm the identified organisms pertained to the quarantine objects, though, the notifications have been sent, thus, the goods have been returned respectively.

The notifications were also confirmed to be groundless in respect of South American tomato moth revealed in shipments with subsequent return of the goods, as this pest is not in the list of quarantine objects and alien species approved by Kazakhstan’s government resolution.

Among the other issues noted there are incomplete compliance of quarantine laboratory at the border crossing “Korday” to the requirements on “Order of quarantine phytosanitary measures laboratory support” and use of visual inspection as the only method of expert examination by laboratory at the border crossing “Korday”. With this the experts of the Kyrgyz side have confirmed only two cases out of five cross-reference cases considered.  
Based on the above MAIFP of Kyrgyzstan considered temporary restrictions introduced by the Kazakhstani side as illegal.