US-created virus outbreak reported between Kharkov and Donbass:
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/m.13703903
And in the economy section:
Ukrainians Realize Futility of EU Free Trade, But It's Too Little, Too Latehttp://sputniknews.com/europe/20160125/1033682894/ukraine-eu-free-trade-futility.html
Kiev Authorities Finishing Off Last Remnants of Ukraine's Economyhttp://sputniknews.com/europe/20160112/1033003925/ukraine-economy-sanctions-association.html...
Interviewed by independent Russian newspaper Svobodnaya Pressa, Noginsky recalled that "the Ukrainian government has boasted that since January 1st, [Ukrainian producers] have been issued more than 900 [EUR1] certificates," ostensibly providing Ukrainian companies with duty-free access to the EU.
"At the same time, Kiev is tactfully silent about the fact that most of these certificates were issued for raw, unrefined products. This includes things like apple concentrates, seeds, honey – that is, purely raw goods. As experts had earlier predicted, the certification of enterprises producing finished products is going ahead very slowly. In the last year, only eight companies were given such certification, and this despite the fact that they have been working at it for several years now."
"In other words," Noginsky laments, "the bulk of Ukraine's manufacturers still do not have access to the European market. And this is not even because of the tariffs, but because of 'non-tariff regulations' and the closed nature of the European market."
"After January 1, these same producers lost the Russian market. For example, the meat and dairy industry will factually face crisis, since the main buyers of Ukrainian meat and dairy are Russia and the other countries of the Customs Union."
To make matters worse, asked about the consequences of the Ukrainian counter-counter sanctions banning Russian food products, Noginsky noted that such measures have only one purpose: "to see Russian goods replaced with European ones on the Ukrainian market."
"The government is factually just making it easier for European companies to access Ukraine, and nothing more. In order for companies to safely head to market, it is necessary to first remove any competitors and thus to free up the niche. As a result, people will be forced to switch to European goods. Factually, the Ukrainian government is working for the benefit of European producers, not their own citizens. European goods are more expensive, but due to lack of choice, naturally, people will buy them."
In effect, the expert says, "destroying our own exports is absolutely illogical, and is aimed at destroying Ukraine's economy and turning it into a raw materials-producing nation. What is Europe ready to buy? Raw, unprocessed goods. Our exports last year clearly demonstrated this, with corn, grains and ferrous metals serving as Ukraine's main exports [to Europe]."
"Only a few dozen Ukrainian companies will be able to receive these EUR1 certificates. The rest are simply incapable of doing so. The transition to the new standards requires significant investment. By the way, of those companies that did receive certification, eight have European owners, Danone being an example. In other words, the European owners have opened their factories toward exporting to their own home countries."
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