Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07VIENNA2595
2007-10-10 14:55:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:
EU REGULATORY COMMITTEE: AUSTRIA TO VOTE AGAINST BIOTECH
how-toVZCZCXRO5789 RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV DE RUEHVI #2595 2831455 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 101455Z OCT 07 FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8758 INFO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 1224 RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1384
UNCLAS VIENNA 002595
SIPDIS
SIPDIS, SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED
DEPARTMENT FOR EBB/TPP/ABT AND EUR/AGS
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO USTR
GENEVA FOR USTR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD TBIO ECON EAGR AU
SUBJECT: EU REGULATORY COMMITTEE: AUSTRIA TO VOTE AGAINST BIOTECH
CORN AND POTATO VARIETIES
REF: STATE 140452
UNCLAS VIENNA 002595
SIPDIS
SIPDIS, SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED
DEPARTMENT FOR EBB/TPP/ABT AND EUR/AGS
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO USTR
GENEVA FOR USTR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD TBIO ECON EAGR AU
SUBJECT: EU REGULATORY COMMITTEE: AUSTRIA TO VOTE AGAINST BIOTECH
CORN AND POTATO VARIETIES
REF: STATE 140452
1. (U) On October 5, post forwarded reftel talking points to the
relevant offices in the Ministries of Health (MoH),Agriculture and
Environment, and Economics. We followed up on October 9 with Michel
Haas, Head of the MoH's Department of Biotechnology. The MoH has
the lead on this issue in Austria.
2. (SBU) Haas told us that Austria will vote against the approval of
the corn and potato varieties. The GoA maintains that there is not
sufficient evidence to confirm the safety of these products. Haas
said the GoA believes that current methods to analyze biotech
varieties, particularly to measure the quantity of biotech events,
are inadequate. As a consequence, Austria will continue to vote
against biotech varieties, even if EFSA has determined they are
safe.
MCCAW#
SIPDIS
SIPDIS, SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED
DEPARTMENT FOR EBB/TPP/ABT AND EUR/AGS
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO USTR
GENEVA FOR USTR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD TBIO ECON EAGR AU
SUBJECT: EU REGULATORY COMMITTEE: AUSTRIA TO VOTE AGAINST BIOTECH
CORN AND POTATO VARIETIES
REF: STATE 140452
1. (U) On October 5, post forwarded reftel talking points to the
relevant offices in the Ministries of Health (MoH),Agriculture and
Environment, and Economics. We followed up on October 9 with Michel
Haas, Head of the MoH's Department of Biotechnology. The MoH has
the lead on this issue in Austria.
2. (SBU) Haas told us that Austria will vote against the approval of
the corn and potato varieties. The GoA maintains that there is not
sufficient evidence to confirm the safety of these products. Haas
said the GoA believes that current methods to analyze biotech
varieties, particularly to measure the quantity of biotech events,
are inadequate. As a consequence, Austria will continue to vote
against biotech varieties, even if EFSA has determined they are
safe.
MCCAW#