DUTCH POSITIVE ON APPROVAL OF BIOTECH CORN AND

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000761 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EEB/TPP/ABT/BTT, EUR/UBI (REITER) STATE PLEASE PASS USTR FOR D. VETTER USDA FOR FAS - ELIZABETH JONES USEU FOR M.DASTIN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD EU NL SUBJECT: DUTCH POSITIVE ON APPROVAL OF BIOTECH CORN AND SUGAR BEET REF: STATE 50150 THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. ¶1. (SBU) FAS The Hague conveyed on April 18 reftel points concerning the USG position on the European Commission proposal to approve the import, food and feed of two biotech corn varieties and one biotech sugar beet variety to Jessica Thio, Policy Officer, Dutch Ministry of Agriculture. According to Thio and consistent with past voting patterns, the Netherlands planned to vote for approval of the applications. ¶2. (SBU) While the EU Standing Committee decided on April 19 to delay consideration of the two corn products until early May, Post expects the Dutch to remain in favor of approval. Recent changes in the Dutch cabinet and the inclusion of the Christian Union as a partner in the new coalition government had raised the possibility of a shift in GONL policy toward approval of biotech products. However, Post thus far has not seen any evidence to suggest a lessening of Dutch support for a science-based approach to biotech regulation. ARNALL