EU RICE IMPORTS

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000602 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE/EB/TPP/ATP STATE/EUR/ERA DEPT PASS TO USTR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ETRD EU LO SUBJECT: EU RICE IMPORTS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PROTECT ACCORDINGLY REF: STATE 130430 (SBU) ON JUNE 16, POST DELIVERED INFORMATION PER REFTEL TO JAN POCCI, DIRECTOR OF THE TRADE DEPARTMENT OF THE AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND TRADE SECTION AT THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, AND STANISLAV POLONSKY, TRADE COUNSELOR AT THE TRADE SECTION OF THE MINISTRY OF ECONOMY. ALENA VITKOVSKA FROM POCCI'S DEPARTMENT, WHO REPRESENTS SLOVAKIA IN A WORKING GROUP AT THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION THAT DEALS WITH TRADE-RELATED ISSUES IN AGRICULTURE TOLD ECONFSN OVER THE PHONE THAT SHE WAS NOT AWARE OF THE EC INITIATIVE TO REPLACE THE CURRENT MARGIN OF PREFERENCE SYSTEM FOR RICE WITH TARIFF RATE QUOTA. VITKOVSKA SAID SHE WOULD BE SURPRISED IF THE EC WANTED TO IMPOSE QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS AT THE SAME TIME WHEN WTO MEMBER STATES LAUNCHED NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT FURTHER TRADE LIBERALIZATION AS PART OF THE DOHA DEVELOPMENT AGENDA. HOWEVER, THE GOS IS NOT IN A POSITION TO DEVELOP ITS OWN AGRICULTURE POLICY, BUT RATHER FOLLOWS THE COMMON POLICY OF THE COMMUNITY. (NOTE: SLOVAKIA'S IMPORTS OF RICE ARE NEGLIGIBLE.) WEISER NNNN