THE FUTURE OF GMOS IN SLOVAKIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000412

SIPDIS


BUDAPEST FOR POSNER-MULLEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/27/2015

TAGS: SENV EAGR ETRD LO
SUBJECT: THE FUTURE OF GMOS IN SLOVAKIA

REF: BRATISLAVA 42

Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR DEBRA HEVIA for
Reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (SBU) Summary. Econoff held a series of meetings to
assess the status of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in
Slovakia. The Minister of Environment Laszlo Miklos,
previously a supporter of GMOs, has now succumbed to
unspecified political pressures and is attempting to bar
their usage in Slovakia. A wide range of sources may have
motivated this reversal, including Greenpeace, the religious
impulses of the Christian Democratic Party (KDH),and
neighboring countries Austria and Hungary. Public opinion on
GMOs has also reached a crucial period, as attitudes formed
in the next couple of years may grow strong roots. End
Summary.

THE REVERSAL OF MIKLOS
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2. (C) Igor Ferencik, Director of the Biosafety Department
of the Ministry of Environment (MOE),disclosed Miklos,
turnaround. Miklos is a scientist with a graduate-level
background in environmental studies and biology. As a
result, he understands the technical aspects of the science
behind GMOs and, accordingly, assented to a pro-GMO approach
in the past. He also based his prior position on an MOE
funded opinion poll (reftel),which concluded that 58% of
Slovaks are supportive of GMOs. According to Ferencik,
Miklos has now reversed course and informed him that the MOE
will not allow any GMO plantings in Slovakia, including those
already approved by the EU. Further, Miklos no longer wants
to entertain any debate or listen to scientific discussion on
the subject. Ferencik also confided that Miklos knows that
an official moratorium would have no legal merit in the EU.
He said Miklos agreed on a de facto cessation with the
Ministers of Environment in Hungary and Austria. As a
result, the Slovak Environmental Inspection Agency, an MOE
institution, pursued and signed an agreement with U.S. seed
producer Monsanto not to sell GMO seeds in Slovakia this
planting season. Although Monsanto consented to this
arrangement in 2005, it still hopes to begin selling GMO
seeds in 2006.


3. (C) The catalyst behind Miklos, turnaround remains
unclear but appears to be political. According to Ferencik,
anti-GMO activist groups such as Greenpeace have regular
meetings with the Minister, but it is unlikely that they
wield sufficient influence to directly explain the change.
Ferencik added, however, that Greenpeace does have leverage
with the Environmental Committee (ENVC) in parliament which
in turn advocates against GMOs to the Slovak cabinet. When
Econoff met with Peter Muransky, Vice-Chairman of the ENVC
and member of KDH, he did in fact repeat Greenpeace,s
typical arguments, and even used its specific (erroneous)
examples of cross-fertilization and their resulting
destruction of farmland.


4. (SBU) Jan Turna, Head of the Molecular Biology Department
at Comenius University and founder of a new pro-GMO NGO,
Modern Technologies and Society (MTS),echoed Ferencik,s
comments. He differed in saying that Greenpeace did have an
influence on Miklos. Turna further stated that local
Greenpeace leaders were largely his former students (and that
he thought he had taught them better academic skills). Turna
additionally opined that Miklos has been pressured,
specifically by Austria and to a lesser degree Hungary, to
forge a regional GMO &blockade8.


5. (SBU) Turna said that Muransky, another former student,
is influential and misguided. Both Turna and Ferencik
observed that Muransky and the KDH are opposed to GMOs in an
effort to follow what they mistakenly believe to be the
Vatican,s negative stance. Muransky confirmed that
assertion when he told Econoff that the Vatican opposes all
efforts to &tinker8 with genetics, GMOs included. Econoff
confirmed with Embassy Vatican that the Catholic Church is
not opposed to GMOs but, in fact, has made various positive
statements about their usage. When Econoff presented
published copies of such statements to Muransky, he admitted
that they were interesting but proceeded to dismiss them as,
&taken out of context8. (Comment: Post is seeking
additional data to help ensure that the KDH has an accurate
understanding of the Vatican disposition. Miklos, Hungarian
Party and Muransky,s KDH are close allies, and the KDH view
may also be influencing Miklos.)

THE BATTLE FOR PUBLIC SENTIMENT

--------------


6. (SBU) Ferencik lamented that the GMO battle was really a
public relations problem and that not enough reliable
information is available. Greenpeace and other NGOs have
ample time to lobby ministries, parliament, and the media
while knowledgeable farmers and scientists often do not have
similar opportunities. Ferencik talked about a journalist
who had visited a GMO-based farm in Spain and received a
first-hand education on its products. Upon returning to
Slovakia, she wrote one of the few pro-GMO articles ever
written in the country. In fact, Ferencik asserted that most
pieces written about GMOs contain an exaggerated headline, 90
percent unscientific, alarmist data, and perhaps only 10
percent factual information. Turna agreed, and further cited
debates on public television where he was given a fraction of
the speaking time provided to the opposition.


7. (SBU) In the past, Turna and his colleagues have written
papers and books expounding the many benefits of GMOs, but
realized that their efforts were not adequately accessible to
the non-scientific community. As a result, they formed MTS
to create an outlet to share international expertise and
experiences. MTS has already received a two-year grant from
EU Structural funds and has a three-part plan to educate the
general public, middle and high school teachers, and
journalists. MTS has only limited funds to draft and publish
information that is comprehensible and accessible to
non-scientists. For now the group is working in the
Bratislava region, but plans to expand as soon as further
funds become available.

MOVING AHEAD
--------------


8. (SBU) Despite the lack of support in the MOE, the
Ministry of Agriculture is currently drafting an EU compliant
coexistence law to describe the regulations for GMO plantings
in combination with traditional seeds. While the law will
technically allow GMOs approved by the EU to be planted in
Slovakia, it remains unclear if Miklos will attempt to
declare an illegal moratorium or find another stalling tactic
to impede GMOs in the future. Additionally, the current
draft of the coexistence law comes into force in June 2006,
which would already cause farmers (and Monsanto) to lose
2006,s planting season. Post will continue its efforts to
dispel myths about GMOs and advocate on behalf of Monsanto.
HURLBERT


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