"LE GRENELLE DE L'ENVIRONNEMENT"

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 003967 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AGMINCOUNSELOR STATE FOR OES; EUR/ERA AND EB(SPIRNAK); STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY; USDA/OS/JOHANNS/TERPSTRA; USDA/FAS FOR OA/YOST; OCRA/CURTIS STA/SIMMONS/JONES/HENNEY FAA/YOUNG; EU POSTS PASS TO AGRICULTURE AND ECON GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ELAB SENV ETRD EU FR SUBJECT: "LE GRENELLE DE L'ENVIRONNEMENT" INTERNAL FRENCH DISCUSSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: REF: 2006 PARIS 2439 PARIS 00003967 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Sarkozy administration has organized "The Grenelle for the Environment" to develop an environmental compact with the French people. The Grenelle brings together a range of stakeholders impacted by Sarkozy's projected "greening" of all social and economic policy areas. The "environmental summit" brings together government and civic leaders to reconcile views on environmental issues and propose concrete measures on which to base French policy. Stakeholders in French agriculture hope the discussions will result in movement on the biotech front, including new legislation on biotech coexistence. End Summary. Background -------------- ¶2. Under the auspices of France's new "super" Ministry of Environment, Sustainable Development and Regional Planning, consultations are underway on six environmental issues. The first phase consists of dialogue within 40 member working groups made up of policy makers, NGOs, employee and employer organizations, local authorities, and experts. The consultation process allows diverse interests to express their viewpoints and affords the government an opportunity to respond to the views of a number of constituencies. Working groups have been formed around the following: climate change and energy, biodiversity, environment and health, sustainable production and consumption, institutions and governance, competitiveness and employment. A special internal group has been formed to consider biotechnology. Working group meetings began in July and will conclude in late September. These will be followed by additional meetings and public internet consultations in October. This process should result in 15-20 propositions from which the government can draw to institute action plans by late October. Agriculture Issues Discussed -------------- ¶3. Tensions regarding environmental approaches to agriculture, including biotechnology, pesticide use and sustainable agriculture have been rising since President Sarkozy's election in May. Anti-biotech activists have pushed the new government for more support in agricultural matters, including calling for a moratorium on commercial biotech production, estimated at 21,000 ha in 2007 (all of which is Mon810),even though this production conforms to existing French laws. In addition to biotech, substantively challenging issues of long-standing sensitivity in France include pesticide use, biofuel production and consumption, and biodiversity. Civil society and agricultural sectors often disagree on the best methods to address these problems. According to the French Chambers of Agriculture (APCA),the least contentious issues for agriculture are organics, rural versus urban expansion, and quality certification of French food products. Agricultural Biotechnology Issues at Stake -------------- ¶4. A major topic for the biotech working group is coexistence standards for biotech and non-biotech crops. We expect it to make recommendations concerning legislation detailing requirements for biotech crops, including planting measures, financial responsibility for biotech contamination, a regulatory monitoring system and a more transparent process for French biotech approvals. France is required to transpose the EU Directive 2001/18, (which involves Member State competent authorities in the first step and an EU-centralized authorization process as a second step on biotech or face fines. This type of legislation withered last year from lack of political support (reftel) as the Presidential elections approached but new President Sarkozy has signaled that he expects to have the Grenelle process result in coexistence legislation which, some analysts say, should become law before France assumes the EU Presidency in July 2008. ¶5. Following a post-election meeting with environmental groups, Sarkozy agreed to refrain from any official acts affecting the PARIS 00003967 002.2 OF 002 environment before the results of the Grenelle consultations. This decision has been reflected in France's two abstentions at the EU on new biotech approvals since the election in May. ¶6. (SBU) Comment: The preparatory meetings for the "Grenelle de l'Environnement" have already resulted in enhanced dialogue among stakeholders who rarely talk to each other. The Sarkozy administration hopes the process, which will culminate in a highly-publicized "summit meeting" later this fall, will galvanize public opinion to demand the incorporation of high environmental standards across the range of social and economic polices. A biotech bill following the Grenelle consultations could provide a positive signal for farmers to plant crops. However, biotech supporters remain wary that the GOF's efforts to appease the environmental lobby may result in a weak biotech bill whose provisions could make biotech cultivation commercially unviable. End Comment. PEKALA