ITALY UNDERSTANDING OF U.S. VIEWS ON MERCURY, BUT

UNCLAS ROME 005864

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV IO AORC UNEP
SUBJECT: ITALY UNDERSTANDING OF U.S. VIEWS ON MERCURY, BUT
EU COUNCIL LIKELY TO ENDORSE BINDING INSTRUMENT PROPOSAL

REF: STATE 242216


1. EST COUNS MET DEC.4 WITH GIULIANA GASPARINNI, HEAD OF
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT DIVISION RESPONSIBLE FOR CHEMICALS
POLICY AND EU AFFAIRS. SHE AGREED THAT THAT THE USG
SUGGESTION TO FORM A MERCURY UNIT WITHIN UNEP WOULD BE
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 ROME 05864 060637Z
USEFUL, AND ALSO AGREED THAT AN AMENDMENT TO THE STOCKHOLM
CONVENTION FOR MERCURY IN ADVANCE OF THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF
THE CONVENTION WOULD BE AN INAPPROPRIATE MEASURE. SHE ALSO
SAID THAT THE PRIMARY JOB WITH GLOBAL CHEMICALS REGIMES WAS
TO IMPLEMENT THOSE ALREADY EXISTING, AND NOT TO NEGOTIATE NEW
ONES.


2. GASPARRINI THEN ADDED, WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE
ALREADY DRAFTED CONCLUSIONS PREPARED FOR THE DEC. 9
ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL MEETING, THAT IT APPEARED LIKELY THAT THE
COUNCIL WOULD ENDORSE A BINDING INSTRUMENT FOR THE MANAGEMENT
OF MERCURY UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE NORDIC EU STATES. SHE
PROMISED TO DO WHAT SHE COULD TO MODERATE ANY LANGUAGE THAT
MIGHT EMERGE WITH REGARD TO SCOPE AND TIMING, AND TO ARGUE
THAT THE U.S.APPROACH PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE
FORWARD ON THE ISSUE WITHOUT FALSE STARTS.

SEMBLER
SEMBLER

UNCLASSIFIED

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2002ROME05864 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED