BRUSSELS – The European Union has decided to stop requiring radiation screening for some food products imported from Fukushima Prefecture, informed sources have said.
It will be the first time for the EU to exclude foods items from Fukushima from its mandatory check list since the regulation was introduced after the nuclear disaster at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant in March 2011.
Specifically, the EU plans to exempt such items as vegetables, fruits other than persimmons and livestock products from the checks, the sources said Wednesday.
The EU will also stop requiring screening certificates for all items currently bound by the rule that are imported from Aomori and Saitama prefectures. Additionally, rice and some other foods produced in other prefectures will be removed from the list, while a handful of edible wild plants will be added.
Japan hopes that the EU’s easing of restrictions will help solidify the notion that there is no scientific basis for maintaining the regulations, sources familiar with the matter said.
South Korea bans imports of certain fishery products from Japan. Taiwan has strengthened its import regulations.
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