DENMARK'S REPLY TO DEMARCHE ON SOY ISSUE AT

UNCLAS COPENHAGEN 000368 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EEB/TPP/ABT AND EUR/ERA STATE ALSO PLEASE PASS TO USTR AND USDA/FAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ETRD EAGR EUN TBIO DK SUBJECT: DENMARK'S REPLY TO DEMARCHE ON SOY ISSUE AT SEPTEMBER 7 EU AGRICULTURE COUNCIL MEETING REF: SECSTATE 86566 (U) Sensitive But Unclassified -- Protect Accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) Embassy delivered the reftel points to Lene Moelsted Jensen, Director for Sustainability and Environment in the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries. She replied the Danish Government is aware of the issue and that the Minister of Agriculture is "very well aware" of the difficulties this case presents. Though Denmark will not determine its official position on this particular case until the Danish Parliament's EU Committee meets on September 4, there is no reason to expect the Committee to change its previous position in support of MON88017 approval. Denmark officially stated that position at the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCOFCAH) meetings in May 2009, when it voted for the approval of MON88017 because 1) it is a variant approved by the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) and 2) it has no gene markers (an essential point for Denmark). ¶2. (SBU) Denmark continues to advocate within the EU structures for faster approval procedures for biotech variants approved by the EFSA. It also supports the establishment of a threshold contamination level higher than zero. Denmark is not advocating for a particular threshold contamination level and will likely concur with whatever level the EC recommends, but it does not see a threshold level of 0.9% as unrealistic. FULTON