SPAIN PROVIDES EU RESPONSE TO CITES PROPOSALS

UNCLAS MADRID 000140 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV KSCA CITES AORC UNEP SP SUBJECT: SPAIN PROVIDES EU RESPONSE TO CITES PROPOSALS REF: STATE 06668 ¶1. Econoff delivered reftel demarche talking points to Manuel Calderon, Head of the Scientific Evaluation Section for CITES of Spain's Office of Biodiversity in the Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs on January 25. On February 3, Calderon responded to the US proposals, explaining that he had needed to wait until after a coordination meeting for EU positions on CITES proposals. He added that while his response represented the "current state of discussion" for the EU, some of the positions could still change by COP 15. ¶2. Calderon said that the EU supports the shark proposals and is likely to continue to do so. On the coral proposal, he noted that the EU is a co-sponsor of the proposal, which means it will support it (despite opposition from Italy). Calderon described the EU position on the polar bear proposal as "open and being determined at this time," with some disagreement amongst the EU member states based on differences of opinion regarding the ability of polar bear management practices in Canada and Greenland to positively adapt to changing conditions. On the bobcat proposal, he said that the EU opposed the proposal because it feels that the identification issue has not been resolved. Calderon concluded that the EU supports the snake proposal. ¶3. Calderon told econoff that he will be attending COP 15 and that Alfredo Bonet, Secretary General for International Trade in the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade, would be Spain's head of the delegation. Spain's delegation will include generalists responsible for multiple species. Calderon said he could serve as the delegation's point-of-contact and that his contact information is: Manuel Calderon, Head of the Scientific Evaluation Section for CITES, Office of Biodiversity, Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs, 34.91.749.3849, mcalderon@mma.es. SOLOMONT