Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PARIS7639
2006-12-01 15:50:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Paris
Cable title:
GOF EXTENDS BAN ON GM RAPESEEDS
how-tonull Lucia A Keegan 12/01/2006 06:00:03 PM From DB/Inbox: Lucia A Keegan Cable Text: UNCLAS PARIS 07639 SIPDIS cxparis: ACTION: AGR INFO: DCM AMB ECON TRDO UNESCO SCI POL ECNO DISSEMINATION: AGRX CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: AGR: MMEADOR DRAFTED: AGR: MCHENARD CLEARED: ECON: JHENNESSEY-NILAND SCI:RDRY (INFO) VZCZCFRI548 RR RUEHC RUEHRC RUCNMEM RUEHMRE RUEHSR RUEHGV RHEHAAA DE RUEHFR #7639 3351550 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 011550Z DEC 06 FM AMEMBASSY PARIS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3520 RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES RUEHMRE/AMCONSUL MARSEILLE 1462 RUEHSR/AMCONSUL STRASBOURG 0266 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2546 RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
UNCLAS PARIS 007639
SIPDIS
BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AGMINCOUNSELOR
STATE FOR OES; EUR/ERA AND EB(SPIRNAK);
STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY;
USDA/OS/JOHANNS/TERPSTRA;
USDA/FAS FOR OA/YOST;
OCRA/CURTIS
STA/MACKE/SISSON/SIMMONS/JONES
FAA/YOUNG;
EU POSTS PASS TO AGRICULTURE AND ECON
GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ETRD SIPDIS EU FR
SUBJECT: GOF EXTENDS BAN ON GM RAPESEEDS
UNCLAS PARIS 007639
SIPDIS
BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AGMINCOUNSELOR
STATE FOR OES; EUR/ERA AND EB(SPIRNAK);
STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY;
USDA/OS/JOHANNS/TERPSTRA;
USDA/FAS FOR OA/YOST;
OCRA/CURTIS
STA/MACKE/SISSON/SIMMONS/JONES
FAA/YOUNG;
EU POSTS PASS TO AGRICULTURE AND ECON
GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ETRD SIPDIS EU FR
SUBJECT: GOF EXTENDS BAN ON GM RAPESEEDS
1. On November 24, the Government of France extended its ban on two
biotech-rapeseed products to April 18, 2007, despite the WTO
decision that Member State bans were not supported by scientific
evidence and were inconsistent with WTO rules. These decrees are
available at: www.legifrance.gouv.fr.
2. The two rapeseed products, Topas 19/2 and MS1Bn, were originally
authorized under EU Directive 90/220 and subsequently notified under
the Novel Food Regulation 1829/2003. Products under this Regulation
have a renewal date of April 18, 2007.
3. (SBU) Comment: According to Embassy sources, the manufacturer
of these rapeseed products, Bayer CropScience, has not sold either
product in the U.S. or Canada since 2001 and has no plans to market
either of these products in France or in any EU Member State.
4. (SBU) Bayer had hoped to benefit from having these products
authorized under the Novel Food Regulation EU-wide in the unlikely
scenario of unintentional contamination. As authorized GM products,
Bayer could avail itself of the 0.9 percent threshold for
adventitious presence in imports by the EU. However, the
continuation of the French ban means that any product found in
France containing the GM rapeseed products would be an unauthorized
biotech product.
5. (SBU) The GOF decision to extend these bans may also be
politically motivated. According to sources within the Prime
Minister's cabinet, the GOF is extremely reluctant to authorize
biotech rapeseed for cultivation due to gene flow concerns, and is
justified under the precautionary principle. The ban's expiration
date of April 18, 2007, being only four days before the first round
of the French Presidential election, indicates that the current
government is very reluctant to take any positive decision on this
issue. Several Presidential hopefuls have already adopted
anti-biotech positions. End Comment.
Stapleton
SIPDIS
BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AGMINCOUNSELOR
STATE FOR OES; EUR/ERA AND EB(SPIRNAK);
STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY;
USDA/OS/JOHANNS/TERPSTRA;
USDA/FAS FOR OA/YOST;
OCRA/CURTIS
STA/MACKE/SISSON/SIMMONS/JONES
FAA/YOUNG;
EU POSTS PASS TO AGRICULTURE AND ECON
GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ETRD SIPDIS EU FR
SUBJECT: GOF EXTENDS BAN ON GM RAPESEEDS
1. On November 24, the Government of France extended its ban on two
biotech-rapeseed products to April 18, 2007, despite the WTO
decision that Member State bans were not supported by scientific
evidence and were inconsistent with WTO rules. These decrees are
available at: www.legifrance.gouv.fr.
2. The two rapeseed products, Topas 19/2 and MS1Bn, were originally
authorized under EU Directive 90/220 and subsequently notified under
the Novel Food Regulation 1829/2003. Products under this Regulation
have a renewal date of April 18, 2007.
3. (SBU) Comment: According to Embassy sources, the manufacturer
of these rapeseed products, Bayer CropScience, has not sold either
product in the U.S. or Canada since 2001 and has no plans to market
either of these products in France or in any EU Member State.
4. (SBU) Bayer had hoped to benefit from having these products
authorized under the Novel Food Regulation EU-wide in the unlikely
scenario of unintentional contamination. As authorized GM products,
Bayer could avail itself of the 0.9 percent threshold for
adventitious presence in imports by the EU. However, the
continuation of the French ban means that any product found in
France containing the GM rapeseed products would be an unauthorized
biotech product.
5. (SBU) The GOF decision to extend these bans may also be
politically motivated. According to sources within the Prime
Minister's cabinet, the GOF is extremely reluctant to authorize
biotech rapeseed for cultivation due to gene flow concerns, and is
justified under the precautionary principle. The ban's expiration
date of April 18, 2007, being only four days before the first round
of the French Presidential election, indicates that the current
government is very reluctant to take any positive decision on this
issue. Several Presidential hopefuls have already adopted
anti-biotech positions. End Comment.
Stapleton