The European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, announced Thursday it is banning the import of feathers and pet birds effective immediately in the wake of a bird flu outbreak in the Asian country.
As North Korea is authorized to export only feathers and pet birds to the EU, the ban only applies to these products.
Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, China, Vietnam, Pakistan and Malaysia) are banned from exporting poultry products and pet birds to the EU until Sept. 30, 2005.