Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PARIS2317
2006-04-07 16:44:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety

Tags:  EAGR ETRD EU KFLU TBIO FR 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS PARIS 002317 

SIPDIS

BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AGMINCOUNSELOR
STATE FOR OES; EUR/ERA AND EBB;
STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY;
USDA/OS/JOHANNS, PENN, TERPSTRA AND RAYMOND;
USDA/FAS FOR OA YOST/ROBERTS, SIMMONS/JONES;
ITP/SHEIKH/MACKE/TOM POMEROY/MIKE WOOLSEY/GREG
YOUNG;
DLP WETZEL/MAGINNIS;
FAA/SEBRANEK/BLEGGI;
FSIS MCNIFF
EU POSTS PASS TO AGRICULTURE AND ECON
GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ETRD EU KFLU TBIO FR
SUBJECT: USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety
Meets with EFSA Executive Director


UNCLAS PARIS 002317

SIPDIS

BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AGMINCOUNSELOR
STATE FOR OES; EUR/ERA AND EBB;
STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY;
USDA/OS/JOHANNS, PENN, TERPSTRA AND RAYMOND;
USDA/FAS FOR OA YOST/ROBERTS, SIMMONS/JONES;
ITP/SHEIKH/MACKE/TOM POMEROY/MIKE WOOLSEY/GREG
YOUNG;
DLP WETZEL/MAGINNIS;
FAA/SEBRANEK/BLEGGI;
FSIS MCNIFF
EU POSTS PASS TO AGRICULTURE AND ECON
GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ETRD EU KFLU TBIO FR
SUBJECT: USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety
Meets with EFSA Executive Director



1. On April 7, 2006, USDA Under-Secretary for Food
Safety Richard Raymond met with recently-appointed
Executive Director of the European Food Safety
Agency (EFSA) Catherine Geslain-Laneelle in Paris.
Ms. Geslain-Laneelle is currently Regional
Director of Agriculture and Forestry for the
French Ile de France region and Vice-President of
EFSA Management Board. She was General-Director of
Food in the Agriculture Ministry from 2000 to

2003.


2. Ms. Geslain-Laneelle explained that one of her
priorities as the Executive Director of EFSA will
be to improve coordination among the various food
safety agencies in European Member States and
EFSA, so that assessments "don't diverge" and
efforts are not duplicated.


3. In addition, Ms. Geslain-Laneelle showed great
interest in building cooperation and improving
information sharing between European food safety
services and their American counterparts in order
to contribute to international risk assessment
efforts. She asked for suggestions on topics to
work on in cooperation with U.S. food safety
services, and Under Secretary Raymond offered to
share the report the Food Safety Inspection
Service (FSIS) recently prepared on the
recommendations for the public in cooking
temperatures for poultry, with a view to
establishing a joint position to "sell" to the
WHO. She agreed that this would be a positive
starting point after which they could resume work
on some of the more contentious issues, e.g., anti-
microbial treatments.


4. Ms. Geslain-Laneelle emphasized the importance
for EFSA of maintaining a completely scientific
approach, citing biotech as an example. She
emphasized that GMO products are safe from a
scientific standpoint and that, contrary to NGO
allegations, EFSA experts must sign a conflict of
interest declaration and are not beholden to
industry.

Stapleton