US embassy cable - 04ROME563

UNCLAS  ROME 000563 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/UBI, 
EB/TPP/ABT/DMALAC 
USTR FOR JIM MURPHY 
USDA/FAS-BIOTECH GROUP - E. JONES 
MILAN FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICER 
FLORENCE FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICER 
NAPLES FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICER 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, TBIO, ETRD, EU, IT, ITALIAN POLITICS 
SUBJECT:  ITALIAN BIOTECH POLICY 
IN DISARRAY; LITTLE HOPE OF GOI 
SUPPORT FOR NK603 
 
1.  SUMMARY.  Italian biotech 
policy and policy-making appears 
to growing less transparent and 
more confused.  The NK603 dossier 
is only the latest example.  The 
Embassy believes it is unlikely 
that a Feb 17 GOI interagency 
meeting of technical experts will 
develop a consensus view.  In our 
estimation, the best we can expect 
at the Feb. 18 meeting of member 
states in Brussels is another 
Italian abstention.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  Embassy discussions with the 
Ministries of Environment, 
Agriculture, Health and Productive 
Activities reveal a GOI in 
disarray on biotech.  This is 
particularly true at the technical 
level, where the lines of 
responsibility seem to be moving. 
Contacts who are usually in the 
know no longer understand the 
chain of decision making or 
divisions of responsibility.  For 
example, we have yet to identify 
the individual(s) responsible for 
implementing the traceability and 
labeling and food and feed 
directives despite repeated 
inquiries.  Another example is the 
apparent decision to relocate the 
Biotech Advisory Group (National 
Committee on Biotech), currently 
under the Ministry of Health, to 
the Ministry of Environment.  The 
move was previewed by contacts 
months ago when discussing how 
Italy will implement the 
traceability and labeling and food 
and feed directives.  But the 
transition is apparently on hold 
awaiting the approval of Health 
Minister Sirchia and some sources 
anticipate a nasty fight before 
it's resolved.  The long time 
Committee Chair retired and was 
replaced by someone due to retire 
in the next six months further 
confusing the situation. 
 
3.  At the political level, the 
Berlusconi cabinet remains as 
divided as ever over biotech 
policy.  Publicly AgMinister 
Alemanno continues to hold center 
stage with his anti-biotech 
position.  Environment Minister 
Matteoli and Health Minister 
Sirchia occasionally say something 
positive in the media about 
biotech, but their positive 
comments are soon forgotten by a 
suspicious public.  Vice Minister 
for Productive Activities, Adolfo 
Urso, responsible for Foreign 
Trade, told the Ambassador 
yesterday that the EU is taking 
positive steps on biotech 
approvals, and that Italy's 
indecisiveness at least keeps it 
from voting against such measures. 
 
4.  Given this current state of 
affairs, we do not expect Italy to 
back approval of NK603 at the Feb 
 
18 meeting in Brussels.  A 
negative vote is possible, but our 
money is riding on another 
abstention as happened with BT-11 
corn.  Sembler 
 
 
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	2004ROME00563 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED