Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BUDAPEST761
2009-10-16 15:46:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Budapest
Cable title:
GM-NO: HUNGARY'S REPLY TO DEMARCHE ON BIOTECH
how-toVZCZCXRO2092 PP RUEHIK DE RUEHUP #0761 2891546 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 161546Z OCT 09 FM AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4584 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
UNCLAS BUDAPEST 000761
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EEB/TPP/ABT AND EUR/ERA
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETRD EUN TBIO EAGR HU
SUBJECT: GM-NO: HUNGARY'S REPLY TO DEMARCHE ON BIOTECH
VOTES AT OCTOBER 19 MEETINGS
REF: A. STATE 106819
B. BUDAPEST 636
UNCLAS BUDAPEST 000761
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EEB/TPP/ABT AND EUR/ERA
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETRD EUN TBIO EAGR HU
SUBJECT: GM-NO: HUNGARY'S REPLY TO DEMARCHE ON BIOTECH
VOTES AT OCTOBER 19 MEETINGS
REF: A. STATE 106819
B. BUDAPEST 636
1. (SBU) Econoff delivered demarche points to Dr. Laszlo
Vajda, head of the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture Rural
Development's Department of EU Coordination and International
Relations, and also to Timea Vertes, Research and Biotech
Advisor-in-Chief. Vajda unequivocally stated that Hungary
will be voting against approval of all new maize varieties.
Echoing previous comments (see ref B),Vajda stated that
there is firm political and consumer consensus in Hungary
against the import of biotech varieties. Vajda added that as
a net exporter of cereals, Hungary's anti-biotech position is
also in their economic interest. Lastly, Vajda stated that
Hungary's scientists reject the European Food Safety
Authority's (EFSA) studies as unsatisfactory, citing a need
for further investigations, trials, and a larger sample size.
2. (SBU) Vajda's advisor Timea Vertes, who sits on the
Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health, singled
out Pioneer's 59122XNK603 variety as especially problematic
since it includes two different gene modifications.
Regarding the vote to renew Syngenta's Bt11 maize, Vajda
stated that Hungary does not yet have a position, nor is ONE
likely to emerge until the last minute.
3. (SBU) With respect to the European Commission developing a
commercially viable policy on low level presence of
unapproved biotech products, Vajda stated that the GOH finds
it more suitable to approach this matter from a theoretical
basis than a practical one, adding that low level presence is
still presence, and thus not tolerable to Hungary.
4. (SBU) Vajda predicted that the European Commission will
eventually decide this issue because neither the Standing
Committee nor the Agricultural Council are likely to reach a
workable majority on October 19. At that point, Vajda
stated, the European Commission is likely to approve the
varieties as they have "typically" done in the past.
5. (SBU) EconOff also delivered demarche points at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Dr. Gabor Nagy, Head of Unit,
EU Trade and Sectoral Policies Department. Nagy also
highlighted Hungary's skepticism of EFSA, stating that it
does not conduct its own scientific studies and simply
accepts studies conducted by the biotech companies
themselves. Like Vajda, Nagy also predicted that there would
be no majority with the Standing Committee or Agricultural
Council, and that the European Commission would eventually
approve all varieties.
LEVINE
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EEB/TPP/ABT AND EUR/ERA
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETRD EUN TBIO EAGR HU
SUBJECT: GM-NO: HUNGARY'S REPLY TO DEMARCHE ON BIOTECH
VOTES AT OCTOBER 19 MEETINGS
REF: A. STATE 106819
B. BUDAPEST 636
1. (SBU) Econoff delivered demarche points to Dr. Laszlo
Vajda, head of the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture Rural
Development's Department of EU Coordination and International
Relations, and also to Timea Vertes, Research and Biotech
Advisor-in-Chief. Vajda unequivocally stated that Hungary
will be voting against approval of all new maize varieties.
Echoing previous comments (see ref B),Vajda stated that
there is firm political and consumer consensus in Hungary
against the import of biotech varieties. Vajda added that as
a net exporter of cereals, Hungary's anti-biotech position is
also in their economic interest. Lastly, Vajda stated that
Hungary's scientists reject the European Food Safety
Authority's (EFSA) studies as unsatisfactory, citing a need
for further investigations, trials, and a larger sample size.
2. (SBU) Vajda's advisor Timea Vertes, who sits on the
Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health, singled
out Pioneer's 59122XNK603 variety as especially problematic
since it includes two different gene modifications.
Regarding the vote to renew Syngenta's Bt11 maize, Vajda
stated that Hungary does not yet have a position, nor is ONE
likely to emerge until the last minute.
3. (SBU) With respect to the European Commission developing a
commercially viable policy on low level presence of
unapproved biotech products, Vajda stated that the GOH finds
it more suitable to approach this matter from a theoretical
basis than a practical one, adding that low level presence is
still presence, and thus not tolerable to Hungary.
4. (SBU) Vajda predicted that the European Commission will
eventually decide this issue because neither the Standing
Committee nor the Agricultural Council are likely to reach a
workable majority on October 19. At that point, Vajda
stated, the European Commission is likely to approve the
varieties as they have "typically" done in the past.
5. (SBU) EconOff also delivered demarche points at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Dr. Gabor Nagy, Head of Unit,
EU Trade and Sectoral Policies Department. Nagy also
highlighted Hungary's skepticism of EFSA, stating that it
does not conduct its own scientific studies and simply
accepts studies conducted by the biotech companies
themselves. Like Vajda, Nagy also predicted that there would
be no majority with the Standing Committee or Agricultural
Council, and that the European Commission would eventually
approve all varieties.
LEVINE