Ireland must stand four square behind a collective EU response to the Russian decision to ban imports of food products from the European Union.

Welcoming the Irish Creamery Milk  Suppliers Association’s call for EU solidarity on the issue, Independent MEP Marian Harkin said that Russia which was currently acting as a rogue state had to be confronted effectively, and on a long term basis, by developing strategies which would erode the bargaining power of the Russians.

She said: “Russia is not a normal democracy and its decision to ban food imports from the EU should serve as an incentive to develop strategies to render decline in trade with that country less harmful.  This will require a combined strategy between the EU and the food exporting countries of other continents who have common trade interests and have the ability to come together to ensure that Russia will not benefit from its attempt to bully the countries of the European Union.

“Concurrently the EU should immediately examine what existing policy can be brought to bear to provide an alternative internal outlet for EU food producers.  School and social inclusion measures offer an immediate opportunity to absorb surplus food production arising from the Russian ban.

“The Russian decision provides an opportunity to make EU and other countries food production independent of Russian demand and this is an outcome which should appeal to any democratic state with the capacity to supply that market.

“Hopefully the circumstances arising from the Russian ban will lead to a common approach by food producing democracies which have very strong trade and political links and could confront the Russian policy with one which would prove of significant longterm benefit to food exporting democratic countries around the world”, Independent MEP Marian Harkin concluded