DEMARCHE TO EU MEMBER STATES AND EU PERMREPS ON

UNCLAS MADRID 000501

SIPDIS

BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AG MIN-COUNSELOR
USDA/FAS/ITP/EAMED FOR DYOUNG
USDA/FAS/FFPD
USDA/FAS/FAA FOR LSEBRANEK, SBLEGGI
STATE FOR EUR/AGS, S/CT, EB/TPP/ABT
STATE PASS TO USTR
EU POSTS PASS TO AGRICULTURE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ETRD EU WTRO
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO EU MEMBER STATES AND EU PERMREPS ON
WOOD PACKAGING MATERIALS (WPM)

REF: REF: STATE 20468

Per reftel, Trade, Agriculture and Foreign Ministries have
been apprised of U.S. concerns regarding the proposed wood
packaging materials directive. On 2/8/05, EconCouns and
EconOff met with Secretary General for Foreign Trade
(Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade) Alfredo Bonet
Baiget and Subdirector General for EU Trade Policy Nicolas
Lopez Lopez (Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade) and
discussed the proposed directive. They said that they had
been in contact with the Ministry of Agriculture, and that
the GOS supports the EU directive. Spain does not consider
it to be unnecessarily trade restrictive and a technical
barrier to trade. Bonet cited Australia as a country that
already has a debarking requirement. However, Spain is
willing to consider the "timing" of the directive. Charge
will be meeting with the Spanish Minister of Agriculture on
2/10/05 who will likely confirm the GOS position and
elaborate upon it.
MANZANARES