NO FURTHER DISCUSSION ON REACH UNDER AUSTRIAN

UNCLAS VIENNA 001846 SIPDIS PASS USDOC 4211/MAC/OEU/DWRIGHT SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD BEXP SENV AU SUBJECT: NO FURTHER DISCUSSION ON REACH UNDER AUSTRIAN PRESIDENCY REFS: A) USDOC 2311 B) VIENNA 1105 ¶1. Embassy conveyed ref A talking points to Thomas Jackl, the GoA's lead REACH negotiator and Head of the Chemicals Department in the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and to Sylvia Hofinger, Head of the Ministry of Economy's Department for Sectoral Enterprise Policy and the GoA's Coordinator for the EU Competitiveness Council. Both interlocutors confirmed that there would not be further discussions on the content of the draft REACH directive under the Austrian Presidency. ¶2. Jackl told us that on June 27, the Environmental Council would adopt a common position on REACH as an "A-point" without discussion. Jackl added that the common position was a word-for-word restatement of the Council's December 2005 version. According to Jackl, negotiations with the European Parliament on a final version would not resume before September 2006. He promised to consider USG concerns carefully. MCCAW#