The Russian government regularly uses its agency for consumer protection, Rospotrebnadzor, for trade discrimination and blocking imports from countries whose policies Moscow does not like (see EDM, March 28, 2006; October 11, 2013; October 16, 2013). On August 4, 2015, Rospotrebnadzor issued a warning to Georgia about the “low quality” of Georgian wines being exported to Russia. “Georgian winemakers systematically violate technical standards while [Georgia’s] controlling agencies fail to provide proper oversight for their production processes,” the Russian watchdog agency said (Rospotrebnadzor.ru, August 4).
On the same day, but just prior to Rospotrebnadzor’s announcement, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned …read more
Source: The Jamestown Foundation