US embassy cable - 02ROME5864

UNCLAS ROME 005864 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, IO, AORC, UNEP 
SUBJECT: ITALY UNDERSTANDING OF U.S. VIEWS ON MERCURY, BUT 
EU COUNCIL LIKELY TO ENDORSE BINDING INSTRUMENT PROPOSAL 
 
REF: STATE 242216 
 
1. EST COUNS MET DEC.4 WITH GIULIANA GASPARINNI, HEAD OF 
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT DIVISION RESPONSIBLE FOR CHEMICALS 
POLICY AND EU AFFAIRS. SHE AGREED THAT THAT THE USG 
SUGGESTION TO FORM A MERCURY UNIT WITHIN UNEP WOULD BE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  05864  060637Z 
USEFUL, AND ALSO AGREED THAT AN AMENDMENT TO THE STOCKHOLM 
CONVENTION FOR MERCURY IN ADVANCE OF THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF 
THE CONVENTION WOULD BE AN INAPPROPRIATE MEASURE.  SHE ALSO 
SAID THAT THE PRIMARY JOB WITH GLOBAL CHEMICALS REGIMES WAS 
TO IMPLEMENT THOSE ALREADY EXISTING, AND NOT TO NEGOTIATE NEW 
ONES. 
 
2. GASPARRINI THEN ADDED, WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE 
ALREADY DRAFTED CONCLUSIONS PREPARED FOR THE DEC. 9 
ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL MEETING, THAT IT APPEARED LIKELY THAT THE 
COUNCIL WOULD ENDORSE A BINDING INSTRUMENT FOR THE MANAGEMENT 
OF MERCURY UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE NORDIC EU STATES.  SHE 
PROMISED TO DO WHAT SHE COULD TO MODERATE ANY LANGUAGE THAT 
MIGHT EMERGE WITH REGARD TO SCOPE AND TIMING, AND TO ARGUE 
THAT THE U.S.APPROACH PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE 
FORWARD ON THE ISSUE WITHOUT FALSE STARTS. 
 
SEMBLER 
SEMBLER 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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 2002ROME05864 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED