US embassy cable - 05BRASILIA2463

UNCLAS BRASILIA 002463 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/BSC AND OES/ENV:JGOURLEY 
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO EPA FOR JWILLIS AND SHAZEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, ETRD, ECON 
SUBJECT: BRAZIL NOT AS CONCERNED ABOUT SAICM 
 
REF: SECSTATE 157172 
 
 1. Summary.  Although the GoB interests in chemicals 
management would seem to be somewhat in line with ours, the 
government does not appear to share USG concerns that the 
Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management 
(SAICM) process will result in problematic controls over the 
use and production of chemicals nor that the SAICM will give 
weight to certain questionable principles in chemicals and 
risk management.  End Summary. 
 
2. Econoff delivered reftel points on the (SAICM) to Foreign 
Ministry officials involved with trade and with environmental 
policy, and to Julio Baena of the International Trade 
Division within the Ministry of Development, Industry and 
Trade (MDIC).  Heading Brazil's delegation to the SAICM 
Prepcom-3 meeting in Vienna September 18-24 will be First 
Secretary Raphael Lopes Mendes de Azeredo from MRE's 
 
SIPDIS 
Environmental Policy and Sustainable Development Division; 
MRE trade officials do not follow the SAIC discussions 
closely. 
 
3. MDIC's Baena, who will not be traveling to Vienna, and 
Azeredo gave similar readouts on Brazil's position relating 
to SAICM.  Brazil ranks 8th or 9th worldwide in chemical 
production and so the GoB would have grave concern over 
adoption of an international agenda that would negatively 
impact its industry.  Azeredo said he understood the US 
points of concern, but, given the voluntary nature of the 
SAICM, the GoB does not view developments thus far in the 
negotiations as causing problems for Brazilian industry. 
 
4. With regard to the EU's REACH initiative, Azeredo said he 
certainly does not have instructions to support adoption of 
REACH as a strategy to be applied worldwide; he suggested it 
is unlikely to be an issue given the strong resistance to EU 
pressure that occurred during Prepcom-1 and Prepcom-2 
meetings from a number of both developed and developing 
countries.  Nonetheless, Azeredo said Brazil could accept 
listing of the EU's REACH program among the "concrete 
measures" that will form the Global Action Plan.  Azeredo 
characterized the Global Action Plan as a reference document 
in the form of a shopping list, which countries can consult 
when developing domestic policies.  Azeredo emphasized, 
however, that the GoB would not accept any attempt to 
describe the list of measures as endorsed by consensus. 
 
5. Azeredo also conveyed calm over proposals within SAICM to 
endorse a ban on production and use of certain classes of 
chemicals, confident that any attempt to negotiate mandatory 
provisions for such a ban of such a comprehensive nature 
would not be successful. 
Chicola