Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ATHENS1619
2009-11-12 16:09:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Athens
Cable title:  

Greece Remains Wedded to EC position on Doha, Geographical

Tags:  ECON ETRD EUN KIPR GR 
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VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTH #1619 3161609
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121609Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1032
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS
UNCLAS ATHENS 001619 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR TANUJA GARDE AND DAWN SHACKLEFORD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETRD EUN KIPR GR
SUBJECT: Greece Remains Wedded to EC position on Doha, Geographical
Indications, and CBD

REF: ATHENS 1569; STATE 104985

UNCLAS ATHENS 001619

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR TANUJA GARDE AND DAWN SHACKLEFORD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETRD EUN KIPR GR
SUBJECT: Greece Remains Wedded to EC position on Doha, Geographical
Indications, and CBD

REF: ATHENS 1569; STATE 104985


1. (SBU) Following the October 23 demarche delivery to the MFA,
EconOff re-delivered reftel demarche on November 10 to Tassos
Protopappas, Director for International Trade Policy, and Nikos
Georgopoulos, Director General for International Economic
Relations, with the Directorate for International Trade Policy at
the reorganized Ministry of Economy, Competitiveness, and Shipping.





2. (SBU) Protopappas asserted that the Doha Round is steadily
"slipping" for reasons that go far beyond Geographical Indications
and the Convention for Biological Diversity. He repeatedly stated
that the United States is playing a large role in Doha's lack of
forward momentum, but would not provide any details. Two of his
colleagues noted that the United States has failed to outline its
position on services -- maritime services in particular.




3. (SBU) Geogopoulos noted that Greece does not stray from EC
positions in Doha. Greece has no stake in the Convention on
Biological Diversity, but does support extending the higher level
of protection afforded to wines and spirits to other products.
Geogopoulos explained that there was a clear mandate for a
mandatory register in 2001, and that to be effective, any register
for geographical indications must be mandatory and have legal
consequences in other WTO member states. He recognized that the
United States prefers to focus on expansion of market access, but
argued that "feta piracy" is taking a serious toll on domestic
producers. He and Protopappas added that the United States should
be on the same page as the EC on this issue, given our export of
regional products such as California wines and Florida orange
juice.
Speckhard