Junior economic affairs minister Henk Bleker has reached a deal with Russia for the immediate ending of the export blockade of agricultural products. Exports to Russia are worth around €1bn a year.

The blockade was introduced because the Russians did not trust the Dutch system of quality checks carried out by private companies. Consequently, shipments were regularly held up at the border.
Bleker has agreed that agricultural products will be checked by the government’s food safety authority while private companies are improved to a level that will satisfy the Russians, reports Trouw.