France and ISTA Executive Committee

UNCLAS PARIS 000851 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, ECON AND ESTH GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON AMEMBASSY NAIROBI AMEMBASSY MEXICO AMEMBASSY BRASILIA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ETRD PGOV TBIO FR WTRO EUN SUBJECT: France and ISTA Executive Committee Meeting REF: STATE 17795 ¶1. Per REFTEL, FAS/Paris sent the talking points to Joel Lechappe, French Delegate to the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA),and discussed the points with him in a follow-up conversation. ¶2. Joel Lechappe said that he will be the French Delegate at the ISTA Executive Committee meeting on February 13-15, while Fabrice Marty will be the French Delegate at the June 25-29 ISTA Annual Meeting. Both men work in the Study and Control Group for Planting Seeds and Varieties (GEVES). GEVES is the French public authority charged with conducting studies on planting seeds and new varieties requisite for their authorization, control, certification, and legal protection. Mr. Marty is the Director of GEVES while Mr. Lechappe is the Director of the National Testing Unit for Planting Seeds, a unit within GEVES. ¶3. Mr. Lechappe insisted that according to the ISTA rules, the idea is to look for specific traits. He said that he is open to the USG position but it must be technically feasible and capable of implementation. He distinguished the technical feasibility from the general political position in this regard. ¶4. FAS/Paris also sent the talking points to the Ministry of Finance and Industry's Fraud Control Office (DGCCRF). DGCCRF responded that while they implement ISTA rules they do not participate in their negotiations. Stapleton