US embassy cable - 05DUBLIN166

UNCLAS DUBLIN 000166 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR OES/ENV JOHN THOMPSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, AORC, ETRD, PREL 
SUBJECT: IRISH RESPONSE TO MERCURY DEMARCHE 
 
REF: STATE 18970 
 
1.  On February 9, Post discussed reftel talking points with 
Riona Ni Fhlanghaile, Principal Officer in the International 
Environment Awareness Office of the Department of the 
Environment and Local Government.  (Fhlanghaile will 
represent the GOI at the February 11 EU preparatory meeting 
for the February 21-25 UNEP Governing Council (GC) Meeting in 
Nairobi.)  Fhlanghaile noted that Ireland was not a 
significant producer of mercury and would not send a 
representative to the Nairobi UNEP GC meeting.  Moreover, 
Ireland would not formally state a position at the February 
11 EU meeting on the proposal favored by several Northern 
European countries for the CG to initiate negotiations on a 
legally binding agreement on mercury and other heavy metals. 
Ireland was disinclined nevertheless to support the proposal, 
on the presumption that an agreement would take several years 
to negotiate, let alone implement.  Fhlanghaile observed that 
the GOI supported exploring alternative, more feasible 
mechanisms to achieve the same objectives, such as the 
partnership approach advocated by the USG or the 
incorporation of mercury-related objectives into pre-existing 
international instruments.  She pointed out, however, that 
Ireland would not seek to block any majority EU view that 
might emerge from the February 11 meeting. 
KENNY