US embassy cable - 02ROME3954

UNCLAS ROME 003954 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E FOR CHASE, SECOR, SHUB; EB FOR A/S WAYNE, PDAS DONNELLY, 
DAS GASDEN, TPP/ATT FOR PEREZ, TPP/BTA/DCT FOR WMOORE; 
EUR/ERA, EUR/WE; PASS USTR FOR ALLGIER, DEILY, DAVIDSN, 
NOVELLI, BURCKY; USDOC FOR ITA/GALDONIS/SCLAEYS/DDEFALCO, 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD, ECON, PREL, IT, EUN 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR TALKS TRADE, STEEL AND BIOTECH WITH 
VICE MINISTER URSO 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
 
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 1.  (U) THE AMBASSADOR MET WITH VICE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN 
TRADE URSO ON AUGUST 8.  AFTER DISCUSSION OF THE CONTAINER 
SECURITY INITIATIVE (SEPTEL), THE TWO DISCUSSED THE STATUS OF 
SEVERAL KEY TRADE ISSUES. 
 
2. (U) FAST TRACK:  URSO WAS PLEASED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE 
FAST TRACK LEGISLATION IN THE U.S., CALLING IT "VERY GOOD 
NEWS."  HE EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE GREATER FLEXIBILITY 
WOULD FACILITATE WTO NEGOTIATIONS. 
 
3. (SBU) FSC:  URSO HOPED THAT MODIFICATIONS OF U.S. FSC 
LEGISLATION COULD BE FINISHED SOON.  HE WAS CONCERNED THAT 
PRESSURE WAS BUILDING FOR A DECISION ON RETALIATION.  THE 
AMBASSADOR RECALLED THAT THE U.S. HAD CHANGED OUR LEGISLATION 
ONCE ALREADY, IN ORDER TO MEET THE CONCERNS OF OUR TRADING 
PARTNERS.  WE HAD LOST THE WTO CASE AND WOULD COMPLY WITH THE 
WTO RULING. 
 
4. (SBU) STEEL:  URSO TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT HE HAD WRITTEN 
TO COMMISSIONER LAMY TO EXPRESS DISAPPOINTMENT THAT NO 
ITALIAN STEEL EXEMPTIONS HAVE YET BEEN GRANTED BY THE U.S., 
AND DECLARED THAT "THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE FOR US.8  HE 
NOTED THAT OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES HAVE RECEIVED STEEL 
EXEMPTIONS.  THE AMBASSADOR ASKED URSO TO SEND A LIST OF 
ITALIAN STEEL EXEMPTION REQUESTS, SO THAT WE COULD ENSURE 
THAT USTR HAS THIS INFORMATION. 
 
5. (SBU) GMOS: URSO DECLARED THAT, IN HIS VIEW, SO LONG AS 
GMOS WERE LABELED, AND THERE WERE TRACEABILITY STANDARDS, 
THERE WAS NO REASON TO KEEP GMOS OUT.  THE AMBASSADOR 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  03954  121532Z 
RESPONDED THAT AGRICULTURE MINISTER ALEMANNO HAD A VERY 
DIFFERENT POLICY.  HE HAD DECLARED A ZERO THRESHOLD FOR GMOS. 
 ALEMANNO POINTS TO PUBLIC OPINION POLLS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT 
THE MAJORITY OF ITALIANS FAVOR HIS ANTI-GMO POLICY.  URSO 
NOTED THAT HE AND MINISTER ALEMANNO WERE OF THE SAME PARTY, 
AND HAD KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR 30 YEARS.  HOWEVER, HE 
EMPHASIZED, THEY DISAGREED ON THIS ISSUE.  &IF I WERE THE 
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, I WOULD END AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES 
AND OPEN OUR BORDERS TO ALL AGRICULTURE IMPORTS, PARTICULARLY 
FROM THE THIRD WORLD.  THIS WOULD ALLOW DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 
TO GROW ECONOMICALLY AND AFFORD OUR NON-AGRICULTURAL 
EXPORTS.8  URSO NOTED THAT HE WAS WRITING A BOOK ABOUT HIS 
TRADE VIEWS, WHICH WOULD BE PUBLISHED LATER IN THE YEAR. 
 
6.  (SBU) COMMENT:  VICE MINISTER URSO IS A SENIOR OFFICIAL 
OF THE AN, CLOSE TO DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER FINI.  AGRICULTURE 
MINISTER ALEMANNO, ALSO OF AN, COMES FROM THE RIVAL WING OF 
THE PARTY AND IS A PROTEGE OF LAZIO PROVINCE GOVERNOR 
STORACE. 
SEMBLER 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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 2002ROME03954 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED