EU applauds U.S. opening its market to Lithuanian meat and products

The European Union (EU) welcomed the United States's decision to open its market to exports of meat and meat products from Lithuania and called on its trading partners to eliminate restrictive measures on EU meat, according to a joint statement made by three European commissioners Wednesday.

The statement was jointly made by EU Health and Food Safety Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis, Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan, few hours after the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service added Lithuania to the list of countries eligible to export meat and meat products to the country.

"We welcome the U.S. Department of Agriculture's announcement that the U.S. will open its market to exports of beef, pork, sheep and goat meat and derived products from Lithuania," it said in the statement.

The announcement comes at a time when farmers across the EU face particular difficulties, the Commissioners said, adding that the EU is working relentlessly to open up new markets and remove existing barriers thus to increase export opportunities for European producers.

The commissioners called for the further opening of the meat market to EU member states in the statement, saying the U.S. decision is recognition of the robust, comprehensive and successful measures put in place by the EU to control animal diseases and ensure safe handling and processing of food from farm to fork.

"We call on our few remaining international trading partners to follow the US and eliminate all restrictive measures on imports of EU meat," the statement added.

Lithuania may export meat to the United States from Oct. 30 this year. Endit