VPSS TO CLARIFY REQUIREMENTS FOR RELISTING PORK AND POULTRY

UNCLAS MOSCOW 003737 C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (ADD SUBJECT) SENSITIVE SIPDIS USDA FAS FOR OCRA/KUYPERS; ONA/SALLYARDS, MURPHY - OSTA/HAMILTON, BEAN PASS FSIS/JONES, DUTROW STATE FOR EUR/RUS STATE PASS USTR FOR CHATTIN, FEILD BRUSSELS PASS APHIS/FERNANDEZ VIENNA PASS APHIS/TANAKA GENEVA FOR USTR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ETRD ECON WTO RS SUBJECT: VPSS TO CLARIFY REQUIREMENTS FOR RELISTING PORK AND POULTRY PLANTS REF A) MOSCOW 3735 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: US Embassy officials met with the Russian Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) to seek clarity on the Russian response to a work plan for relisting U.S. pork and poultry plants as proposed by USTR and USDA during meetings in Moscow on December 17 and 18 (septel). While VPSS did not reject or accept the U.S. work plan, they committed to clarifing the Russian position for relisting plants during a December 29 DCV. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) On December 23, 2008, the Acting Minister-Counselor for Agricultural Affairs and Economic Counselor met with the Head of VPSS Sergey Dankvert, to discuss the U.S. work plan which was proposed during December 17th and 18th meetings related to implementation of the U.S. Russian bilateral Agreement on Plant Inspection signed on November 19, 2006 in Hanoi(septel). Dankvert confirmed that he had received the U.S. proposal and it was clear. He agreed that they could meet per the work plan and suggested only minor adjustments to the proposed dates. He promised that his services would supply the requested information on the delisting (ref A) by the date proposed in the plan. ¶3. (SBU) Embassy officers stressed that it was the U.S. position that the work plan represented a way forward so that FSIS would regain the authority to relist plants per the 2006 agreement. However, Dankvert responded that this was not the Russian position and that the steps for relisting plants would be clarified in a DVC on December 29. He asserted that Russia had lost confidence in USDA certification and that trust needed to be rebuilt. He stated that the U.S. would need to provide all the documents related to the decisions to certify plants as eligible to ship to Russia (not just the 38 delisted plants). Dankvert asked that a second inspection be conducted the week or January 20th in which Russian inspectors would visit the farms, the facilities in question, and additional plants which the U.S. chooses. He also noted that 10 of the 38 plants had been delisted for a second time. Note. While Dankvert refrained from expanding on that comment, per the 2006 agreement if a plant is delisted twice, it may only be relisted after a joint inspection. End Note. ¶4. (SBU) Embassy officers responded that we have agreed procedures on how plants are to be relisted. The U.S. was hopeful that we could clear up misunderstandings through the proposed plan and requested a positive response to the work plan by December 29. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: It is clear that VPSS is refusing to honor the side letter agreement on plant inspections signed as part of the U.S.- Russia WTO market access agreement. VPSS stated clearly in its December 22, 2008 letter (ref A), that relisting would only take place after further joint inspections and farm visits. Furthermore, Post cautions that VPPS may view the work plan as a series of meetings rather than concrete measures to reinstate USDA's ability to relist facilities. End Comment BEYRLE