MICHEL BARNIER OUTLINES GOALS AS NEW FRENCH MINISTER OF

UNCLAS PARIS 002746 SIPDIS SIPDIS BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AGMINCOUNSELOR STATE FOR EBB; OES; EUR/ERA; STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY; MOWRY/SANFORD; USDA/OS/JOHANNS/TERPSTRA; USDA/FAS FOR OA/YOST/JACKSON/ROSADO; OCRA/CURTIS/ALEXANDER; ONA/RIEMENSCHNEIDER/YOUNG; STA/SIMMONS/JONES/HENNEY OFSO/LEE/YOUNG; USDA/RMA FOR CALLAN EU POSTS PASS TO AGRICULTURE AND ECON GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ETRD PGOV WTRO EUN FR PINR SUBJECT: MICHEL BARNIER OUTLINES GOALS AS NEW FRENCH MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, INITIATES BIOTECH DIALOGUE REF: (A) 2007 PARIS 2642; (B) 2007 PARIS 1448 ¶1. SUMMARY: THE NEW FRENCH MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE MICHEL BARNIER (REFTEL A) DELIVERED HIS FIRST OFFICIAL SPEECH AT THE YOUNG FRENCH FARMERS' UNION ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN EPINAL ON JUNE 21. BARNIER ASSURED THE AUDIENCE THAT HE WILL DEFEND THE COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY, WILL ADVOCATE AN INCREASE IN FRANCE'S DEVELOPMENT OF BIOFUELS AND MAINTAIN A HARDLINE ON DOHA NEGOTIATIONS. FINALLY, HE ANNOUNCED THE CREATION OF A HIGH COUNCIL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY TO ADDRESS THE SENSITIVE BIOTECH ISSUE. END SUMMARY ¶2. BARNIER APPEARED BEFORE A LARGE AGRICULTURAL GATHERING LESS THAN 48 HOURS AFTER HIS NOMINATION AS MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES. HE BEGAN BY ACKNOWLEDGING CONCERNS ABOUT THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE BUDGET, WHERE SEVERAL THOUSAND RETIRING EMPLOYEES WILL NOT BE REPLACED IN 2008. MOVING TO EUROPEAN ISSUES, HE EMPHASIZED HIS AIM TO REINFORCE THE HARMONIZATION OF EUROPEAN RULES, SPECIFICALLY SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY REQUIREMENTS. CONCERNING THE 2008 HEALTH CHECK OF THE COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY (A SIMPLE EVALUATION OF THE 2003 REFORM IN HIS WORDS),HE CALLED ON FRENCH FARMERS TO INCREASE THEIR DIALOGUE WITH EUROPEAN COUNTERPARTS TO INCREASE FRANCE'S INFLUENCE WITHIN EUROPE. IN HIS VIEW, THE FUTURE CAP SHOULD BE MORE SUSTAINABLE. HE ALSO MENTIONED NEW TOOLS SUCH AS INSURANCE AS A MEANS TO SUPPORT AGRICULTURE IN THE FUTURE. ¶3. BARNIER REASSURED THE FRENCH FARMERS AUDIENCE OF FRANCE'S "HARDLINE" STANCE IN THE WTO NEGOTIATIONS. NOTE: AT THE TIME OF THE SPEECH, THE FAILURE OF THE POTSDAM TALKS HAD NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC - END NOTE. HE SAID THAT HE WILL NOT BE COMPLACENT WITH PASCAL LAMY, HIS FORMER COLLEAGUE AT THE EU COMMISSION, STATING "THE EUROPEAN UNION SHOULD BE OPEN, NOT OFFERED." ¶4. BARNIER HIGHLIGHTED FRANCE'S GROWING BIOFUEL PROGRAMS AND PROMISED TO INVIGORATE THEM, WITH THE CAVEAT THAT HE WILL ENSURE THEY DO NOT COMPETE WITH FOOD OR FEED PRODUCTION. HE SAID THAT MORE MONEY WILL BE SPENT ON R&D ON NEW BIOFUELS DEVELOPMENTS SUCH AS CELLULOSIC BIOFUELS. ¶5. IN CONTRAST TO PREVIOUS SPEECHES BY FRENCH MINISTERS OF AGRICULTURE, BARNIER EXPLICITLY ADDRESSED THE BIOTECH ISSUE. NOTE: PRIOR TO HIS NOMINATION, BARNIER WAS ON THE BOARD OF THE FRENCH MEDICAL AND BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANY, MERIEU -END NOTE. HE INTRODUCED THE SUBJECT BY LINKING TRADITIONAL PLANT BREEDING TO MASTERING DNA MUTATIONS, SAYING THAT FRANCE MUST REMAIN ACTIVE AND TRANSPARENT IN THIS SCIENTIFIC EVOLUTION. HOWEVER, HE EMPHASIZED, THAT AS A POLITICAL LEADER, HE MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT CONSUMER CONCERNS.. TO ACHIEVE THIS, HE ANNOUNCED THE CREATION OF A HIGH COUNCIL ON BIOTECHNOLOGY, WHICH WILL UNDERTAKE A PUBLIC DIALOGUE ON GMOS. NOTE: SUCH A HIGH COUNCIL WAS PROVIDED FOR IN THE BIOTECH BILL, WHICH WAS PASSED BY THE FRENCH SENATE IN MARCH 2006 BUT NOT BY THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (REFTEL B). FAS PARIS CONTACTS SUGGEST THAT THIS LAW MAY GO TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN THE LATE AUTUMN, AFTER A LARGE FRENCH ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE. END NOTE ¶5. COMMENT: MOST FARM ORGANIZATIONS AND FARM LEADERS ARE PLEASED WITH THE NOMINATION OF BARNIER. HIS SPEECH IN EPINAL WAS WIDELY APPLAUDED. FARM LEADERS BELIEVE THAT HIS STRONG EUROPEAN BACKGROUND (REFTEL A) WILL STRENGTHEN FRANCE'S POSITION AT THE EU LEVEL. THEY DO HOWEVER FEAR THAT, DUE TO HIS PREVIOUS POSITION AS MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, HE MIGHT IMPOSE MORE STRINGENT ENVIRONMENTAL RULES ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION. ¶6. ON BIOTECH, WHERE THE CORN FARMERS ARE RAPIDLY EXPANDING PRODUCTION, AND THE REGULATORY COMMUNITY TENDS TO TAKE A REASONED, SCIENCE-BASED APPROACH, THE MAIN DETERRENT IS PUBLIC OPINION. MINISTER BARNIER, IN INITIATING A PUBLIC DIALOGUE, COULD HELP PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WITH OBJECTIVE INFORMATION THAT MAY COUNTER BALANCE THE MISINFORMATION DISSEMINATED BY ANTI-BIOTECH ACTIVISTS. HERETOFORE, THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT HAS NOT ATTEMPTED TO TACKLE THIS PROBLEM. END COMMENT. STAPLETON