(Recasts, adds EU/Poland and Russian quotes)

By Darren Ennis

BRUSSELS, April 18 (Reuters) - European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on Wednesday Brussels had given Russia enough information on its concerns about Polish sanitary standards for Moscow to lift a meat import ban.

"We hope, we indeed expect, that the clarifications that have been provided by the European Commission experts...are clear for the Russian authorities to consider to lift their ban on meat and other exports from Poland to Russia," Barroso said.

Barroso was speaking at a joint new conference with Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who said he fully supported the EU executive's approach on the matter.

Earlier, a Commission official said the letter had been sent to Moscow ahead of a meeting in Cyprus on Saturday between the Russian agriculture minister Alexei Gordeyev and EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou on the issue.

Kyprianou hopes to reach a deal with Gordeyev to end Russia's 16-month ban on Polish meat imports which would kickstart talks between Brussels and Moscow on a new strategic partnership agreement. The Russian agriculture chief said on Wednesday the talks would be difficult.

RUSSIA SEES TALKS "DIFFICULT"

"The situation in Poland remains complicated," Gordeyev told reporters. "I think we have serious and well-grounded complaints to our Polish counterparts. Our talks will be difficult. I can't predict the outcome."

Last November, Warsaw vetoed negotiations on a new EU-Russia accord covering energy, economic cooperation and human rights in protest at Moscow's boycott.

Poland believes the ban is politically motivated and the dispute is casting a shadow over an EU-Russia summit on May 18. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has given high priority to relations with Moscow during Berlin's six-month EU presidency, will be present, as will Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We believe the right decision will be taken and we are actively and constructively working with Russia," Barroso said.

Kyprianou told Reuters last Thursday that all sides were close to reaching a deal. Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia's plant and animal health watchdog, has also offered new joint inspections as a step towards lifting the ban.

However, despite describing Russia's report, which included the offer of further inspections, as "positive", the Commission said it saw no need for experts to revisit Polish meat plants.

If an agreement can be clinched in Cyprus, EU foreign ministers could move forward on the EU-Russia partnership talks when they meet on April 23.

In banning Polish meat products and other agricultural products, Russia said it had discovered fraudulent inspection certificates. Warsaw insists its food is safe. (Additional reporting by Marcin Grajewski in Brussels and Aleksandras Budrys in Moscow)

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