BRUSSELS (AFP) - The European Union will on Tuesday put a dispute with Russia over car imports to the World Trade Organisation, an EU diplomatic source said.

The EU has expressed concern over a recycling fee which is imposed by Russia solely on imported vehicles, thus increasing their cost.

"An announcement is expected around midday," said the source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The bloc's Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht complained in December that Moscow was not doing enough to meet its commitments after finally joining the WTO.

He had said Brussels reserved the right to take its complaints to the WTO if talks failed to resolve issues in dispute.

De Gucht had listed four areas of concern, among them recycling fees which are levied only on auto imports and a ban on the import of live animals, a measure he said was designed to protect Russian producers.