CZECH REPUBLIC: TOEING THE EU LINE ON FOOD AID

UNCLAS PRAGUE 001284 SIPDIS STATE FOR JANET SHANNON, USAID PASS TO DALE SKORIC, AGRICULTURE PASS TO FAS/ELIZABETH AUTRY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR EZ WTRO SUBJECT: CZECH REPUBLIC: TOEING THE EU LINE ON FOOD AID REF: STATE 155973 ¶1. (U) EconOff delivered reftel demarche to the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Agriculture, which has the lead on this issue, stated that the GOCR supports the EU position on this matter and that further discussion within the GOCR will be put on hold until after the Hong Kong ministerial in December. ¶2. (U) Agriculture's Secretary of the National FAO Committee Jiri Muchka said that the Czech Republic does not have a separate opinion from the EU on the issue; The EU prefers that the World Food Program be the responsible body for future monitoring and analysis of food aid, not the CSSD, a position determined during special Food Aid Committee meetings in Brussels at the beginning of this year. Muchka noted that one of the considerations in supporting the EU position on this issue is his belief that the Czech Republic is unrepresented at the CSSD in Washington. Both Ministries of Agriculture and Trade made it clear that the Food Aid Convention will form the basis of further discussion on this issue. They believe that the WTO is the appropriate forum for a discussion of food aid, at least as to how it will affect the overall agriculture market. CABANISS