Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06WELLINGTON73
2006-01-27 04:24:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Wellington
Cable title:  

NEW ZEALAND ON EU'S PLAN TO REQUIRE DEBARKING OF

Tags:  EAGR ETRD EU WTRO NZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWL #0073 0270424
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270424Z JAN 06
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2313
INFO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 0167
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 0027
UNCLAS WELLINGTON 000073 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

USDA FOR FAS-WESTCOT, FAS-EAMED AND APHIS-ACKERMAN
USDOC FOR ITA-ZACHOS
STATE PASS USTR-MOLNAR
STATE FOR EB-MSINGER, EB-JSTRUBLE AND EAP/ANP-DRICCI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ETRD EU WTRO NZ
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND ON EU'S PLAN TO REQUIRE DEBARKING OF
WOOD PACKAGING MATERIALS

REF: 05 STATE 210901

UNCLAS WELLINGTON 000073

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

USDA FOR FAS-WESTCOT, FAS-EAMED AND APHIS-ACKERMAN
USDOC FOR ITA-ZACHOS
STATE PASS USTR-MOLNAR
STATE FOR EB-MSINGER, EB-JSTRUBLE AND EAP/ANP-DRICCI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ETRD EU WTRO NZ
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND ON EU'S PLAN TO REQUIRE DEBARKING OF
WOOD PACKAGING MATERIALS

REF: 05 STATE 210901


1. (U) Post on November 21 delivered reftel points to the
European Division of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Trade and to the International Policy Division of
the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF). In response,
Meredith Stokdijk, acting director of MAF's International
Policy Division, wrote in a January 20 letter that New
Zealand would continue to encourage the European Union not to
impose unilateral requirements for wood packaging materials
that would likely undermine the adoption of the international
standard, ISPM 15, internationally.


2. (U) In her letter, Stokdijk said that her government
acknowledged that the EU's debarking measure was not a
standard requirement of ISPM 15. "New Zealand does not
believe that taking a measure against bark is unjustified,
but rather that the implementation of any such requirement
should not impede the international adoption of ISPM 15," she
wrote.


3. (U) Stokdijk noted that New Zealand requires all imported
wood packaging materials (WPM) to be bark-free but that,
rather than requiring debarking as part of ISPM 15
compliance, bark "is removed or treated on arrival before
being allowed clearance into New Zealand." In essence, she
wrote, this means that New Zealand's requirements do not
impede the flow of ISPM 15-compliant WPM internationally.


4. (SBU) Comment: Essentially, it is tough for the Kiwis to
argue against the EU implementing a practice that New Zealand
already requires. New Zealand does share our concern that an
EU debarking provision could cause serious disruptions to
trade. It also places the highest priority on the
international adoption of ISPM 15. New Zealand expects the
EU probably will again suspend implementation of a debarking
requirement for WPM for another year. The International
Plant Protection Convention's (IPPC) Technical Panel on
Forest Quarantine is scheduled to meet in June 2006 and will
review the technical merits supporting debarking as well as
the feasibility of enforcement. Michael Ormsby of
Biosecurity New Zealand chairs the IPPC's technical panel.
Burnett