The ban on meat imports from the Croatian producers that do not meet EU standards remains in force in Bosnia and Herzegovina even after the European Commission has said that Bosnia and Herzegovina should not request from Croatia higher standards than those applicable to its own consumers, Bosnian media said on Thursday, quoting the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Mirko Sarovic.
"It is the autonomous right of Bosnia and Herzegovina whether it will admit goods from establishments that do not have an EU number," Sarovic said, as quoted by Dnevni Avaz newspaper.
On July 1, when Croatia joined the EU, the Bosnian authorities banned imports from over 50 meat producers from Croatia saying that they do not meet the export requirements for EU markets so they cannot market their products in Bosnia and Herzegovina either.
The European Commission said in a special statement on Wednesday that the Croatian companies that still do not fully comply with the EU regulations have been given a transitional period of two years to align with the EU standards. It noted that most Croatian producers meet the standards applicable in Bosnia and Herzegovina and that therefore there should be no obstacles to their exports to the country.
Minister Sarovic, however, insists that only those companies in Croatia that have the so-called EU number may export their products to Bosnia and Herzegovina, or if an interested company addresses a formal request to the Bosnian Veterinary Service to certify its production plants and include the company on the list of certified importers.
