US embassy cable - 05VIENNA3398

UNCLAS VIENNA 003398 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EUR/ERA AND EUR/AGS - VIKMANIS-KELLER 
COMMERCE FOR ITA/USFCS - THOMAS MOORE AND ITA/MAC - KELLY 
PARSONS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, ETRD, AU, WTRO 
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO AUSTRIA:  REQUEST FOR EU MEMBER STATES 
TO SUPPORT U.S. WTO AG PROPOSAL 
 
REF: A. (A) STATE 190730 
     B. (B) PHILLIPS-CHASE E-MAIL 10/17/05 
 
This message is Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please treat 
accordingly. 
 
1.  (U) Post delivered ref (a) points on October 17 to key 
trade officials in the Ministries of Economics and 
Agriculture.  In a preliminary discussion on October 17, the 
Economics Ministry's Multilateral Trade Division head, 
Gabriela Habermayer, told us she would ensure that the 
Austrian delegation in Luxembourg received our demarche. 
Habermayer added that she did not expect the October 18 EU 
Council meeting to result in any clear mandate to the 
Commission to go beyond its current negotiating mandate to 
discuss the U.S. proposal. 
 
2.  (SBU) On October 18, EconPolCouns and Senior Commercial 
Officer met with Habermayer to discuss the U.S. proposal 
further.  Habermayer explained that the Commission believed 
it was well within its existing mandate to negotiate on the 
basis of the U.S. proposal, so it had not requested an 
expansion of its mandate. 
 
3.  (SBU) The Austrian position was that there had to be a 
balance between all the items up for negotiation in the WTO, 
Habermayer said.  In addition, all players, especially Brazil 
and India, had to engage in the discussions, and the talks 
had to include such issues as non-agricultural market access 
(NAMA) and services.  Habermayer noted that there was a 
difference of views between the Austrian Economics Ministry 
and the Agriculture Ministry.  The Economics Ministry took an 
"offensive" approach, seeking flexibility in the various 
sectors.  The Economics Minister had expressed surprise when 
his colleague at the Agriculture Ministry signed on to a 
French memorandum which was "defensive" in supporting current 
benefits and prerogatives for Austrian farmers.  That said, 
Habermayer expressed a desire for all parties in the WTO 
discussions to make a commitment to discuss the range of 
issues.  As the U.S. had argued, this should include not only 
agricultural market access, but also export subsidies and 
internal support. 
van Voorst