LITHUANIA UNLIKELY TO SUPPORT ANY UNAPPROVED

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 000853 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE PASS TO USDA FAS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2017 TAGS: EAGR ETRD TBIO LH SUBJECT: LITHUANIA UNLIKELY TO SUPPORT ANY UNAPPROVED BIOTECH PRODUCTS IN IMPORTS REF: SECSTATE 158225 Classified By: DCM Damian Leader for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) (C) On November 20, we discussed reftel with the Ministry of Agriculture's Dr. Julija Margelyte (Food Safety and Quality Division) and Zigmas Medingis (EU Affairs and International Relations Department). They said that senior Ministry officials would decide the GOL position regarding low level presence (LLP) in imports of animal feed on November 21st, but explained that the GOL's current position is against the presence of biotech in animal feed. Margelyte noted that additives like antibiotics are passed from animal feed into humans when meat products are consumed. Thus, biotech products would likely have the same effect. In a follow up telecon on November 26, Virginija Vingriene, one of the Chief Specialists of the Food Safety and Quality Division, who attended the November 21st meeting, said that the Ministry had not reached a decision on a specific level, but that the Minister would be guided by the precautionary principle. We interpret this to mean that Lithuania, remaining wary of biotech, will likely not tolerate any level of unapproved biotech products in imports. CLOUD