CYPRUS TO VOTE AGAINST APPROVAL OF STACKED BIOTECH CORN

UNCLAS NICOSIA 000490 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SE DEPT PLS PASS USTR USDA FOR FAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR TBIO ECON ETRD SENV EUN CY SUBJECT: CYPRUS TO VOTE AGAINST APPROVAL OF STACKED BIOTECH CORN VARIETIES REFS: (A) STATE 74307, (B) NICOSIA 400, (C) NICOSIA 478 (U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) Per Ref A request, Post delivered on June 1 the demarche on the June 8 EU Standing Committee vote on biotech corn to Alexandros Zenon, Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We also sent copies to Panicos Pouros, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Takis Antoniou, Director, Department of Agriculture; and Antonis Antoniou, Acting Director, Environment Service. ¶2. (SBU) In all likelihood, Cyprus will be represented at the June 8 meeting by Giorgos Hartoutsios, Health Inspector at the Ministry of Health's Medical and Public Health Services. Hartoutsios also represented Cyprus at the previous EU Standing Committee meeting on May 10. According to Hartoutsios, discussion at the May 10 meeting focused on the technical problem of detecting stacked genes and how this might affect member state's ability to test whether purported non-biotech products exceeded the 0.9 percent biotech threshold. In the end, the European Commission chose to postpone the vote rather than risk a negative result. ¶3. (SBU) Cyprus has voted against approval of every new biotech variety since it joined the EU in 2004. Hartoutsios confirmed to us that the GOC's stance on biotech was unlikely to change (i.e., Cyprus will vote against approving the biotech corn at the June 8 meeting). Hartoutsios noted that the Ministry of Health, for its part, did have some "legitimate" scientific concerns, but that these were secondary to political calculations stemming from the public's negative view of biotech. ¶4. (SBU) The Cypriot Ministry of Agriculture held a meeting June 4 with leading environmental and business NGOs to discuss Cypriot biotech policy in the wake of the parliament's decision not to bow to European Commission pressure and revoke a ban on biofuels made from biotech plants (ref c). According to Environment Service staffer Irini Constantinou, who attended the June 4 meeting, Minister of Agriculture Photiou stressed his commitment to respect EU rules on biotech. The Minister, however, also stressed his intent to find ways consistent with EU rules to further restrict the import and use of biotech. As part of this, the GoC would prepare a scientific study focused on showing that coexistence was impossible in Cyprus because of the island's small size and fragmented agricultural plots. The GoC would also take steps to improve the enforcement of the EU's biotech tracing and labeling rules. According to the press, the Minister also pledged to build alliances within the EU to further strengthen EU restrictions on biotech seeds and products. SCHLICHER