GREEK RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE: CODEX AD HOC TASK

UNCLAS ATHENS 002438 SIPDIS STATE FOR EB/TPP JACK BOBO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO EAGR ECON GR SUBJECT: GREEK RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE: CODEX AD HOC TASK FORCE ON BIOTECHNOLOGY REF: SECSTATE 147159 ¶1. (U) On September 12, Embassy received GoG response to reftel demarche. Response in entirety follows: ¶2. (U) Begin text: Greece is extremely interested in the re-establishment of the new Task Force and its mandate, and will thus participate with two representatives to the 5th Session of the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology. Regarding our positions and priorities we provide you with the following details: based on the council Decision of 17 November 2003 (2003/822/EC, L309/14),on the accession of the European Community to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a coordination meeting prior to each Codex Session takes place in Brussels, for the formation of a common position among the 25 Member States and the European Community. Such a common position has already been approved and sent to Codex Secretariat as "European Community Comments", on June 9, SIPDIS ¶2005. This position will be handed to all member state of the Codex Task Force, at the meeting in Japan. End text. RIES