ESTONIA TO SUPPORT EU COMPLIANCE WITH WTO BIOTECH

C O N F I D E N T I A L TALLINN 000739

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C O R R E C T E D C O P Y //REMOVE RUEHRC AND ADD PASS LINE//

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NOFORN

DEPT PASS TO DEPT OF AGRICULTURE
DEPT FOR EUR/NB KATHERINE GARRY, EUR/ERA - SHAWN GRAY,
EEB/TPP/ABT/BTT JACK BOBO
STATE PASS USTR MELISSA CLARKSON, AND USDA/FAS ELIZABETH
JONES
WARSAW FOR FAS KATE SNIPES

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2017
TAGS: EAGR ETRD EUN WTO EN
SUBJECT: ESTONIA TO SUPPORT EU COMPLIANCE WITH WTO BIOTECH
RULING

REF: SECSTATE 153542

Classified By: DCM Karen Decker for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d).


1. (SBU) Estonia will support EU compliance with the WTO
ruling outlined in reftel by the November 21 deadline for a
Reasonable Period of Time (RPT). According to Allan Gromov,
Deputy Under Secretary of the Ministry of Environment (MOE),
Estonia voted against the ban on these corn varieties
initiated by Austria at the last committee meeting. Gromov
told us that, as there was no qualified majority, the EU
Commission will take a position in favor of these corn
varieties as demanded by the WTO. The decision will be made
very soon to meet the RPT deadline in order to avoid U.S.
sanctions.


2. (C) Comment: The Government of Estonia (GOE) has a
reputation for objective, science-based decisions on biotech
issues. This particular issue of compliance with the WTO
ruling revealed rifts within the GOE and the Ministry of
Environment itself. However, in the end the GOE,s
commitment to rules-based decisions won out. The MOE
initially planned to oppose compliance with the WTO ruling
within the RPT deadline. However, it changed its position
after the MFA weighed in, arguing for a position in support
of compliance with WTO rules. End Comment.

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