Romania Parliament Ratifies Ex-Soviet States' EU Pacts

Romania’s second parliamentary chamber, the Camera Deputatilor, ratified Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia’s Association Agreements with the European Union on Wednesday in a 284-to-zero vote.

Moscow appeared to show its unhappiness by imposing a ban on cattle and beef imports from Romania, a move that leaders in Bucharest said was politically motivated.

The agreements, signed in Brussels on June 27, envisage closer economic and political ties between the three ex-Soviet states and the European Union.

“Romania wanted to be the first country to ratify the pacts. We have already been in the frontline of EU countries supporting the further European integration of those countries, especially Moldova’s integration,” Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean told parliament.

Moldova was once part of Romania, which cherishes ties with the Romanian-speaking country.

With a 694-kilometre-long border with Ukraine, Romania has also been among the strongest regional backers of Western sanctions against Russia since it annexed Crimea.

Just hours before the vote in the Bucharest parliament, the Moscow authorities decided to ban any imports of bovine cattle, beef and by-products from Romania over an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease.

Romanian specialists denied the situation was a cause for concern however.

“We have already reported to the International Epizootic Bureau the case with suspicions over a carcass of meat. The case is under investigation, which involves testing in a specialised lab in the UK,” Vladimir Manastireanu, head of Romania Veterinary Authority said.

“Anyway, there is no threat to the population’s food safety,” he said.

Manastireanu...

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