U.S.-EU WINE NEGOTIATIONS: AUSTRIA SUPPORTS

UNCLAS VIENNA 002380 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR EB/TPP/ABT AND EUR/AGS USTR FOR MURPHY AND BOMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ETRD AU SUBJECT: U.S.-EU WINE NEGOTIATIONS: AUSTRIA SUPPORTS CURRENT DRAFT IN PRINCIPLE REF: STATE 127683 ¶1. (SBU) Post conveyed reftel talking points on July 11 to Gabriela Habermayer, Head of the Ministry of Economy's Multilateral Trade Affairs Division and to Hans Kordik, Head of the Ministry of Agriculture's EU Coordination and Planning Division. Kordik promised to provide comments at a later date. On July 14, Econ Unit Chief met with Habermayer and Ingrid Zehetner, who will represent the GoA at the July 15 133 Committee meeting. Habermayer said that, in principle, the GoA supported the draft agreement in its current form. However, Habermayer added that the GoA would be "in a listening mode" at the July 15 meeting. Habermayer said the GoA had heard that Italy has strong concerns regarding traditional labeling issues in the agreement, and the GoA wanted to listen to the Italian position. Brown