FRENCH MINAG RESPONDS TO RETALIATORY TARIFFS

UNCLAS PARIS 000062 SIPDIS BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AGMINCOUNSELOR STATE FOR OES; EUR/ERA; EEB/TPP/ABT/BTT (BOBO); STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY/CLARKSON; USDA/FAS FOR OA/HALE; OCRA/NENON; ONA/RIEMENSCHNEIDER/YOUNG/BERTSCH; OFSO/YOUNG; EU POSTS PASS TO AGRICULTURE AND ECON GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR SENV ECON ETRD EU FR SUBJECT: FRENCH MINAG RESPONDS TO RETALIATORY TARIFFS REF: STATE 00004100 ¶1. On January 15, the French Ministry of Agriculture responded to the USG revised list of products subject to retaliatory tariffs. ¶2. Begin translation: "Michel Barnier, French Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, is disappointed in the U.S. decision to triple import tariffs on French Roquefort cheese, as announced on Thursday. This sanction, announced as a retaliation against the EU ban on U.S. beef produced with hormones, is unjustified. European legislation which banned the importation of beef produced with hormones in 1988, is based on a sanitary risk analysis. ¶3. Food safety and the preservation of our gastronomic heritage are requirements shared by the 27 EU Member States. France and Europe are dedicated to sourcing healthy food from our territories. Quality and safety policies must be developed simultaneously. We are opposed to the introduction to the European market of beef produced with hormones and poultry treated with chlorine products. ¶4. Roquefort is a traditional product which represents the capacity of an industry to produce a safe product and maintain a gastronomic heritage known throughout the world at the same time. ¶5. We are responding in several ways: a) At the end of 2008, Europe launched a new appeal in the WTO seeking legitimization of its policy. We hope an amicable dialogue with the new Obama administration will contribute to the resolution of this issue. b) We wish to support our exporters and plan to offer them promotional and other export support measures. c) Finally, there are new export markets for our Roquefort cheese producers. On December 15, Michel Barnier signed a draft agreement with his Australian counterpart which opens the Australian market to Roquefort cheese. This followed an in-depth risk analysis by Australia. It was made possible thanks to the involvement of sheep milk producers and the Roquefort processing industry which met very-high microbiological standards." End translation.