ITALIAN BIOTECH POLICY

UNCLAS ROME 000563

SIPDIS


STATE FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/UBI,
EB/TPP/ABT/DMALAC
USTR FOR JIM MURPHY
USDA/FAS-BIOTECH GROUP - E. JONES
MILAN FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICER
FLORENCE FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICER
NAPLES FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICER

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR TBIO ETRD EU IT ITALIAN POLITICS
SUBJECT: ITALIAN BIOTECH POLICY
IN DISARRAY; LITTLE HOPE OF GOI
SUPPORT FOR NK603


1. SUMMARY. Italian biotech
policy and policy-making appears
to growing less transparent and
more confused. The NK603 dossier
is only the latest example. The
Embassy believes it is unlikely
that a Feb 17 GOI interagency
meeting of technical experts will
develop a consensus view. In our
estimation, the best we can expect
at the Feb. 18 meeting of member
states in Brussels is another
Italian abstention. END SUMMARY.


2. Embassy discussions with the
Ministries of Environment,
Agriculture, Health and Productive
Activities reveal a GOI in
disarray on biotech. This is
particularly true at the technical
level, where the lines of
responsibility seem to be moving.
Contacts who are usually in the
know no longer understand the
chain of decision making or
divisions of responsibility. For
example, we have yet to identify
the individual(s) responsible for
implementing the traceability and
labeling and food and feed
directives despite repeated
inquiries. Another example is the
apparent decision to relocate the
Biotech Advisory Group (National
Committee on Biotech),currently
under the Ministry of Health, to
the Ministry of Environment. The
move was previewed by contacts
months ago when discussing how
Italy will implement the
traceability and labeling and food
and feed directives. But the
transition is apparently on hold
awaiting the approval of Health
Minister Sirchia and some sources
anticipate a nasty fight before
it's resolved. The long time
Committee Chair retired and was
replaced by someone due to retire
in the next six months further
confusing the situation.


3. At the political level, the
Berlusconi cabinet remains as
divided as ever over biotech
policy. Publicly AgMinister
Alemanno continues to hold center
stage with his anti-biotech
position. Environment Minister
Matteoli and Health Minister
Sirchia occasionally say something
positive in the media about
biotech, but their positive
comments are soon forgotten by a
suspicious public. Vice Minister
for Productive Activities, Adolfo
Urso, responsible for Foreign
Trade, told the Ambassador
yesterday that the EU is taking
positive steps on biotech
approvals, and that Italy's
indecisiveness at least keeps it
from voting against such measures.


4. Given this current state of
affairs, we do not expect Italy to
back approval of NK603 at the Feb

18 meeting in Brussels. A
negative vote is possible, but our
money is riding on another
abstention as happened with BT-11
corn. Sembler


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2004ROME00563 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED