MERCURY PARTNERSHIPS WITH AUSTRIA: NOT NOW, MAYBE

UNCLAS VIENNA 003879 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR OES/ENV (JTHOMPSON) AND EUR/AGS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV EMIN AU UNEP SUBJECT: MERCURY PARTNERSHIPS WITH AUSTRIA: NOT NOW, MAYBE LATER REF: STATE 218928 ¶1. Post discussed reftel talking points December 9 with Raimund Quint, Deputy Head in the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment's Chemicals Policy Department. Quint said the GoA welcomed the idea of partnerships in principle. However, he noted that financial and budgetary restraints currently prevented Austria from engaging in such partnerships, at least until the end of 2006. Quint cited increased spending related to Austria's EU Presidency the first half of 2006 as the major constraint. Quint said that Austria would be more receptive to engaging in partnerships in the second half of 2006. ¶2. Quint said Austria was particularly keen on projects that aimed to reduce the presence of products containing mercury, e.g., thermometers, from the market. The European Commission had started an initiative on this issue in January 2005. ¶3. Quint hoped for "better cooperation with the USG" on the Chemicals Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) policy within the UNEP at the February 2006 Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) in Dubai. MCCAW#