"There are ample opportunities for importing Russian low- and medium-grade wheat, even despite the current quota," he said.
According to the official, tariff quotas for such wheat are about 3 million metric tons a year.
He said 500,000 metric tons were reserved for the United States, and the remaining 2.4 million were open for other countries without limitations.
However, he continued Russia exported about a million metric tons of such wheat in 2003, and only 500,000 in 2004.
He said these figures were registered after Poland and Hungary, major wheat producers, joined the EU and therefore stopped competing with Russia on the European market.
The official continued that the duty on wheat supplies to the EU was 12 euros per ton within the quota. High-grade wheat is not subject to any duties. However, Russia generally supplies low- and medium-grade wheat.
"The overall demand for wheat imports to the EU is estimated at about 5.5 million metric tons, which is about 5% of the total wheat consumption," said the official.
When asked about the deadline of the quota, the official said there was none. The quota will remain as part of the EU's obligations to the WTO, he said.
