ADVOCATING THE U.S. POSITION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF

UNCLAS AMMAN 007089

SIPDIS

USDA/APHIS FOR DUNNAHY, KLAG, GREIFER
USDA/FAS FOR SIMMONS
EB/TPP/ABT FOR D. MALAC
NEA/ARN FOR A. SCHEDLBAUER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR TBIO JO FAO WTO
SUBJECT: ADVOCATING THE U.S. POSITION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF
IPPC STANDARDS ON LMO'S

REF: STATE 294225


1. While receiving reftel points on October 28, Ministry of
Agriculture Director's Assistant for Plant Protection
Mohammad Kateh-Bader noted that he was reviewing extensive
technical comments on living modified organisms (LMO's),
including from the U.S. and the EU. We left with him reftel
non-paper.


2. Kateh-Bader took on board the suggestion to append the
guidance on LMO's as an Appendix III to ISPM-11. His only
substantive remark was that the discussion of LMO's as pests
was a complex one that included the definition of a pest.


3. Kateh-Bader also received reftel questions and promised
to try to respond this week. On October 30 he said that he
had consulted the responsible parties, but still had no
answers. Embassy will email responses, as we receive them,
to the desk and to EB/TPP/ABT.


4. BIOGRAPHIC NOTE: Kateh-Bader is a member of Standards
Committee Seven at the Interim Commission for Phytosanitary
Measures. He is also a member of the Disputes Settlement
committee in the IPPC. Kateh-Bader received a B.S. in plant
protection and an M.Sc. in Plant Pathology from the
University of Jordan, Amman.
GNEHM