FRANCE AND THE THIRD MEETING OF THE

UNCLAS PARIS 001526

SIPDIS

BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AGMINCOUNSELOR
STATE FOR OES; EUR/ERA AND EB (SPIRNAK);
STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY;
USDA/OS/JOHANNS AND PENN;
USDA/FAS FOR
OA/TERPSTRA/ROBERTS/SIMMONS/RICHEY/JONES;
ITP/SHEIKH/HENKE/MACKE/TOM POMEROY/MIKE
WOOLSEY/GREG YOUNG; BOB RIEMENSCHNEIDER
FAA/SEBRANEK/BLEGGI;
EU POSTS PASS TO AGRICULTURE AND ECON
GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ETRD FR EUN
SUBJECT: FRANCE AND THE THIRD MEETING OF THE
CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ON BIOSAFETY

REF: STATE 34706


1. In response to reftel, Paris AGR, ECON and
ESTH officials transmitted the talking points to
the French Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry
of Ecology, the Fraud Control Office of the
Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, and the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


2. Jean-Louis Maurer, French Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Directorate for Environment, Biosafety
and Biotechnology will lead the French delegation.
The French Ministry of Agriculture will be
represented by Laure Souliac, Head of the Office
on Food Regulation and Biotechnology, General
Directorate for Food.


3. We understand that France thinks it is
imperative that concrete implementation of the
Cartagena Protocol be adopted at the third meeting
of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (MOP-3),
particularly given the lack of results at MOP2.
The French have already contributed to the common
EU position, which will be presented at MOP3 in
their role in the "International Environment"
group of the Council.


4. More specifically on Article 18.2 (a),which
covers the documentation of Living Modified
Organisms (LMOs) intended for food, feed or
processing, the French position is in line with
the adopted EU position. The French delegation
will endeavor to find a consensus on Article 18.2
(a) without questioning the EU regulation. Note:
MOP-2 failed to adopt a decision which detailed
how to identify LMOs for direct use in food or
feed.

Stapleton