OUTREACH TO HUNGARY ON EU REGULATORY COMMITTEE

UNCLAS BUDAPEST 000138 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ETRD EUN TBIO HU SUBJECT: OUTREACH TO HUNGARY ON EU REGULATORY COMMITTEE FEBRUARY 25 VOTE ON BIOTECH CORN REF: A) STATE 14566 B) BUDAPEST 89 C) BERLIN 82 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Post delivered Ref A talking points to the Ministry of Agriculture on February 20. The Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that Hungary will vote for a continued ban on GMOs, in line with its previously stated position (Ref B). Although the Ministry of Agriculture is showing signs of willingness to consider changing that stance, President Laszlo Solyom and the Ministry of Environment continue to espouse fiercely anti-GMO views. Post is hosting two biotech outreach visits in March, which we hope will help to soften Hungary,s position. end summary. -------------- -------------- Glimmers of Hope for GMOS at the Agriculture Ministry ... -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On February 20, ESTH officer conveyed Ref A talking points on the February 25 EU regulatory committee vote on biotech corn to Timeas Vertes, EU GMO Counselor at the Ministry of Agriculture. Vertes is the official who represents Hungary in EU GMO negotiations. Vertes said that Hungary will vote for a continued moratorium on GMOs, in line with Hungary,s current anti-GMO policy (Ref B). However, her response included rays of hope for a softer stance on GMOs from the Agriculture Ministry, as she indicated that the Ministry is taking into account other positions on GMOs that would support the introduction of some biotech corn. The Ministry is collecting remote-sensing data to assess the losses caused by the European corn borer, and the results show that certain GMOs that provide protection against this pest would be beneficial to Hungarian farmers. The Ministry is also studying the utility of GMO crops on poor-quality agricultural land. -------------- -------------- ... But Hostility Persists at the Highest Levels of the GOH -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) On February 20, local press reported on President Solyom,s efforts to gain the support of other EU governments for Hungary,s ban on GMOs. Solyom insists that Hungary is within its rights to ban GMOs, which he believes pose an environmental risk. We know from our recent consultations with American GMO firms active in Hungary (Monsanto and Pioneer) that the Ministry of the Environment opposes GMOs as strongly as Solyom, on the same basis, and that this position is so strongly held that outreach to that Ministry would not be helpful at this time. -------------- Upcoming GMO Outreach in Hungary -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Post is currently finalizing the schedule for a March 4-5 biotech outreach trip coordinated by FAS Berlin (Ref C) and for the visit of Jack Bobo, DOS Senior Advisor for Biotechnology, to Budapest on March 12-13. The former trip will focus on low-key contacts with farmers, and the latter on higher level outreach to ministries and consultations with American firms. We hope the series of outreach trips will help to soften Hungary,s position on GMOs. Foley