LITHUANIA SEIZES GENETICALLY MODIFIED RICE

UNCLAS VILNIUS 000902 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS WARSAW FOR FAS AND FCS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ECON LH SUBJECT: LITHUANIA SEIZES GENETICALLY MODIFIED RICE REF: A) STATE 137943, B) VILNIUS 803 ¶1. (U) Local press reported September 28 that Lithuanian officials had seized 880 kg of U.S.-exported rice, part of a shipment that the EU identified as containing genetically modified (GM) rice. This shipment arrived in Belgium and was then broken up and sent to other EU countries, including Lithuania. The article also stated that the EU issued an order on September 26 directing member states to identify and seize this rice. ¶2. (U) The State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS) confirmed for us that this EU directive stemmed from the GM rice described in ref A. As of mid-day September 28, SFVS also confirmed that it had identified and seized 880 kg of rice belonging to this shipment and that it expected to finish its search by the end of the day and issue a full report to the EU on September 29. Most of the rice was in the possession of "VP Market," which operates the largest retail chain in Lithuania. SFVS also told us that an "unknown quantity" had already reached consumers. (SFVS officials foreshadowed these actions to us when we discussed the potential problems with this particular rice shipment with them for the first time last month -- ref B.) ¶3. (U) SFVS will not test the rice itself. SFVS has determined only that this rice belonged to the shipment in question; it has not determined that any of the rice seized in Lithuania is GM. SFVS, in coordination with EU authorities, plans to return the rice to the original shipper. ¶4. (SBU) Lithuanians are generally poorly informed about biotechnology, but tend to believe that GM products are somehow harmful. This story did not receive much attention in the press, but biotech critics here are likely to use this kind of example to urge the GOL to remain skeptical about GM products. CLOUD