The European Union has banned importation of poultry meat and other poultry products from Russia over concerns about avian flu, Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) reported.

The ban imposed by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety applies to poultry meat, processed poultry meat and poultry meat products that have not been heat treated, and to unprocessed animal byproducts consisting of or containing materials from domestic fowl.

The restriction applies to all Russian poultry enterprises.

Eighteen Russian enterprises are currently certified to export product to the EU.

Outbreaks of avian flu in Russia were recently registered in the Kursk, Orel, Rostov and Samara regions, and in Chuvashia, as well as some other regions.