The European Union (EU) has extended its ban on live pet birds and feathers from the Russian regions east of the Ural Mountains to all of Russia except a few regions, the European Commission (EC), said in a statement Friday.

The EC, the EU's executive arm, decided on the extension Thursday evening after the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, which consists of veterinary experts from the EU's 25 member states, gave it the green light earlier in the day. The ban will stay valid for six months.

The ban will not apply to Kaliningrad and some regions on the border with Finland, including Leningrad, Karelia, Murmansk and St. Petersburg.

The EU stopped importing live birds and unprocessed feathers from the Russian regions east of the Ural Mountains on Sept. 8. Currently, there is no trade between Russia and the EU in eggs, poultry meat or meat products.

The latest move came after Russia confirmed on Wednesday an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 avian flu in a region about 200 km south of Moscow.

The H5N1 strain, which has killed more than 60 people in Asia since 2003, has also been discovered in Turkey and Romania.

Russia has been fighting bird flu since mid-July and has killed over 600,000 domestic fowl.

The food chain standing committee on Thursday also endorsed further biosecurity measures for domestic flocks and preventive vaccination of zoo birds to further reduce the threat of avian flu.

EU member states should ensure that poultry are no longer kept outdoor in areas of particular bird flu risk and that wild birds have no contact with feed and water destined for poultry.

The measures also include an immediate EU-wide ban on the collection of birds on markets, shows, exhibitions and cultural events.

Member states are required to present a program on the vaccination of birds kept in zoos to the standing committee and provide details of the implementation of more biosecurity measures to protect birds in zoos.

Source: Xinhua