EU extends Japan food import restriction amid radiation concerns

PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Commission will extend restrictions on imports of Japanese food products to the European Union, imposed last March following the nuclear crisis in Japan, until the end of October this year.

The European Union's executive body decided to continue to require such products to go through checks for radioactive contamination, a move that was backed by EU member states even though almost a year has passed since the crisis erupted.

But the commission also decided to reduce the frequency of sample inspections on Japanese food products when they are transported to the EU region as it has determined that the possibility of the products containing radioactive materials surpassing Europe's allowable levels is currently "considerably low."

Food products from 11 Japanese prefectures including Fukushima, Miyagi and Tokyo must be accompanied by certificates indicating radiation levels when they are exported to the region, while those from the remaining 36 prefectures must have certificates of origin.

The restrictions have been in place since late March after the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, triggered by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, led to radiation leaks from the plant in Fukushima Prefecture, The Mainichi Daily News reported citing Kyodo.