US embassy cable - 03ZAGREB245

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000245 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS USTR/PADILLA 
STATE FOR EB/EPPD/PD AND EUR/PPD 
VIENNA FOR FAS 
BUDAPEST FOR ENVIRO HUB 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2013 
TAGS: KPAO, EAGR, ETRD, TBIO, EAGR, ETRD, TBIO, HR, HRKPAO, Trade 
SUBJECT: WTO BIOTECH PUBLIC DIPLOMACY RESOURCE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
 
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QUERY-CROATIAN CONTEXT 
 
REF: STATE 21881 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: ECONOMIC OFFICER, ISABELLA DETWILER, 
REASONS 1.5 (D AND E) 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1.  (SBU) POST FEEDBACK ON REFTEL WTO BIOTECH MEDIA STRATEGY 
IS SHAPED BY OUR ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT IN THE ISSUE AND 
CROATIA'S STATUS AS AN EU ASPIRANT WHICH PLANS TO SUBMIT AN 
APPLICATION FOR ACCESSION NEXT MONTH.  IN CROATIA, THERE IS 
LITTLE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF TRADE ISSUES, EVEN LESS OF 
INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL OR DEVELOPMENT ISSUES.  THUS OUR 
CAMPAIGN WOULD FOCUS ON ISSUES DEAR TO CROATIANS -- THE FOOD 
THEY EAT AND THEIR DESIRE TO KNOW WHAT IT IS THEY ARE EATING. 
 END SUMMARY. 
 
REACTIONS TO SUGGESTED MESSAGES 
------------------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) POST GENERALLY AGREES WITH THE THEMES OFFERED 
REFTEL. TO TAILOR THE MESSAGE, AFTER MAKING THE STRONG POINT 
THAT THE WTO DISPUTE IS NOT ABOUT WHETHER THE BIOTECH IS SAFE 
OR NOT -- THE EU CONCEDES IT IS -- BUT RATHER THE FAILURE OF 
THE EU TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED RULES, 
WE NEED TO ADDRESS VIGOROUSLY THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION THAT 
BIOTECH FOODS ARE SUSPECT AND THAT THE US DOES NOT RESPECT 
CROATIANS' RIGHT TO CHOOSE.  IF WE DO NOT OVERCOME THAT 
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PAGE 03        ZAGREB  00245  01 OF 02  311719Z 
PERCEPTION, WE COULD WIN THE TRADE BATTLE BUT LOSE THE 
MARKETING WAR. 
 
3.  (C) FOLLOWING COMMENTS ARE KEYED TO REFTEL: 
 
-- THEMES A AND B (WTO COMMITMENTS, RULES-BASED APPROVAL 
PROCESS):  WE NEED TO MAKE CLEAR THAT THE EU HAS A PROCESS TO 
REVIEW APPLICATIONS FOR THE BIOTECH PRODUCTS, HAS DETERMINED 
THEY ARE SAFE, AND IS STALLING NONE THE LESS.  WHILE A 
DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE TRADE ISSUES MAY BE USEFUL FOR OUR 
GOVERNMENT INTERLOCUTOR, WE WILL NEED TO KEEP IT SIMPLE FOR 
THE PRESS AND THE PUBLIC. 
 
-- THEME C (MISINFORMATION AGGRAVATING FAMINE IN AFRICA): TO 
DATE, THE CROATIAN PUBLIC HAS NOT BEEN SEIZED WITH THIS 
ISSUE.  ITS RECEPTIVITY TO THIS MESSAGE IS UNCERTAIN. 
 
- THEME D (BIOTECH SAFE, NO SCIENTIFIC BASE FOR MORATORIUM): 
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT THEME TO PURSUE IN CROATIA. 
UNFORTUNATELY, FOR EVERY SCIENTIFIC STUDY WE CAN OFFER UP, 
THE OPPONENTS OF BIOTECH ARE ABLE TO OFFER UP ANOTHER STUDY, 
WHICH WHILE OF MORE-THAN-DUBIOUS QUALITY, OFTEN REDUCE OUR 
IMPACT.  CITING SOURCES WHICH HAVE CONCLUDED THAT BIOTECH IS 
SAFE, SUCH AS THE EU ITSELF AND THE WHO, WOULD BE VALUABLE, 
AS THEY ARE CONSIDERED MORE NEUTRAL THAN THE USG. 
 
-- THEME E (BIOTECH WILL HELP DEVELOPING COUNTRIES): 
CROATIANS ARE NOT OVERLY CONCERNED WITH ECONOMIC GROWTH IN 
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES; WHAT THEY WORRY ABOUT IS ERODING A 
NICHE THEY HOPE TO EXPLOIT AS AN UNSPOILED, "NATURAL" 
MEDITERRANEAN PARADISE FOR EUROPEAN TOURISTS.  THEY ARE ALSO 
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PAGE 04        ZAGREB  00245  01 OF 02  311719Z 
WORRIED THAT IF THEY PLANT BIOTECH FOODS, THEY MAY ENDANGER 
THEIR EXPORT PROSPECTS TO THE EU. 
 
-- THEME F (BIOTECH ENVIRONMENTALLY BENEFICIAL): CROATIANS 
ARE NOT INTELLECTUALLY CONSISTENT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.  THE 
MAJORITY OF CROATIANS REGARD CROATIA AS ENVIRONMENTALLY PURE 
AND ARE PERFECTLY WILLING TO THINK OF GMO-FREE FOODS AS 
"HEALTHY FOODS," NO MATTER HOW MUCH PESTICIDE WAS USED TO 
GROW THEM.  NEVERTHELESS, IT IS A MESSAGE WORTH PUTTING OUT, 
HOPEFULLY APPEALING TO SOME MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE 
PEOPLE AT THE MARGINS AND POINTING UP THE FALLACY THAT 
GMO-FREE EQUALS "ENVIRONMENTAL."  FIGURES SHOWING HOW MUCH 
PESTICIDE IS USED ON AN AMERICAN CORNFIELD VERSUS ITS 
EUROPEAN COUNTERPART COULD BE ILLUMINATING. 
 
-- THEME G (CONSUMER CHOICE): THIS COULD BE A POWERFUL 
ARGUMENT HERE.  BUT IT IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD, SINCE THE 
CROATIAN PUBLIC BELIEVES CONSUMER CHOICE MUST BE ENSURED BY 
LABELING.  A RECENT US SPEAKER TRIED TO MAKE THE ARGUMENT 
THAT LABELING OF BIOTECH FOODS WOULD REDUCE CONSUMER CHOICE. 
GROCERY MANUFACTURERS WOULD REFUSE TO USE BIOTECH SOURCES 
SINCE CONSUMERS WOULD INEVITABLY REJECT BIOTECH FOODS LABELED 
AS SUCH.  THIS ARGUMENT DID NOT FIND RESONANCE HERE.  EVEN 
OUR STAUNCHEST ALLIES -- THE REPUTABLE, SERIOUS SCIENTIFIC 
COMMUNITY, AGRONOMISTS, TRADE AND REGULATORY OFFICIALS -- 
THINK THAT MANDATORY LABELING IS AN INDISPENSABLE FIRST STEP 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ1718 
 
PAGE 01        ZAGREB  00245  02 OF 02  311720Z 
ACTION EB-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AGRE-00  AID-00   AMAD-00  CEA-01   CIAE-00 
      COME-00  CTME-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  EUR-00   EXIM-01  E-00 
      VC-00    FRB-00   HHS-01   H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00 
      ITC-01   LAB-01   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00 
      OES-00   OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    ACE-00   SP-00 
      SSO-00   SS-00    STR-00   TRSE-00  USIE-00  R-00     EPAE-00 
      ECA-00   IIP-00   DRL-01   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00   SWCI-00 
        /012W 
                  ------------------2F1ED4  311753Z /38 
R 311702Z JAN 03 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9357 
INFO AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 
AMEMBASSY VIENNA 
USMISSION GENEVA 
USEU BRUSSELS 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 000245 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS USTR/PADILLA 
STATE FOR EB/EPPD/PD AND EUR/PPD 
VIENNA FOR FAS 
BUDAPEST FOR ENVIRO HUB 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2013 
TAGS: KPAO, EAGR, ETRD, TBIO, HR 
SUBJECT: WTO BIOTECH PUBLIC DIPLOMACY RESOURCE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  00245  02 OF 02  311720Z 
QUERY-CROATIAN CONTEXT 
 
TOWARD DISPELLING UNFOUNDED CONSUMER FEARS. 
 
4.  (C) WE MUST BE PREPARED TO ANSWER THE QUESTION "GIVEN 
CROATIA'S DESIRE TO EXPORT TO THE EU, WEAK REGULATORY 
STRUCTURE AND INSTITUTIONS, AND SMALL AREA, DOES THIS ACTION 
AGAINST THE EU MEAN THAT THE US WILL NOT ALLOW CROATIA THE 
TIME TO PUT INTO PLACE ALL THE STRUCTURES WE NEED TO CONTROL 
BIOTECH CROPS AND TO PROVIDE THE MONITORING OUR POPULACE 
DEMANDS OF OUR FOOD STOCKS?" 
 
ALLIES IN A PUBLIC DIPLOMACY CAMPAIGN 
------------------------------------- 
 
5.  (SBU) OUR BEST ALLIES IN THE PRO-BIOTECH CAMPAIGN HAVE 
BEEN SCIENTISTS, MAINLY THOSE WHO THEMSELVES WORK IN THE AREA 
OF BIOTECHNOLOGY.  MUCH OF THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL 
INDUSTRIES SEE BIOTECH AS EITHER A DIRECT COMPETITIVE THREAT, 
OR A RISK FACTOR FOR FUTURE EXPORTS TO THE EU, SO HAVE NOT 
BEEN PUBLIC SUPPORTERS OF BIOTECH.  ADDITIONALLY, THEY HAVE 
BEEN COWED BY A VOCAL, LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL NGO FROM EVEN 
THINKING ABOUT SOURCING BIOTECH INPUTS.  WE DO NOT KNOW OF 
ANY JOURNALISTS WHO COULD BE CALLED "ADVOCATES" FOR BIOTECH, 
BUT A NUMBER ARE WILLING TO PRESENT BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY. 
 
SPECIFICS OF LOCAL REACTIONS TO A WTO-CASE 
------------------------------------------ 
 
6.  (C) MANY CROATIANS, INCLUDING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND 
PARLIAMENTARIANS, CLAIM THE US APPLIES A HARSHER STANDARD 
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PAGE 03        ZAGREB  00245  02 OF 02  311720Z 
AGAINST CROATIA THAN OTHER COUNTRIES.  THEY HAVE ACCUSED US 
OF THREATENING CROATIA WITH A WTO CASE WHEN THE GOVERNMENT 
CONSIDERED INTRODUCING A TEMPORARY BAN ON THE IMPORT OF GMOS 
(A DISTORTION OF THE TRUE STORY), WHILE ALLEGEDLY ALLOWING 
NEW ZEALAND AND THE EU TO LIMIT THE IMPORT OF THESE PRODUCTS. 
 ALSO, A DE FACTO BAN ON SOME PRODUCTS IS IN PLACE WHILE THE 
CROATIAN GOVERNMENT GLACIALLY DEVELOPS LEGISLATION AND 
GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING AND APPROVING BIOTECH PRODUCTS.  A 
WTO CASE WOULD SERVE NOTICE THAT WE WILL NOT ACCEPT 
INDEFINITE DELAYS.  HOWEVER, IT RISKS ALSO HARDENING ALREADY 
ENTRENCHED NEGATIVE FEELINGS ABOUT THE PRODUCTS THAT WE HOPE 
TO SELL. 
 
THE MESSAGE 
------------ 
 
7.  (C) IN CROATIA, THE MOST EFFECTIVE MESSAGE WOULD 
EMPHASIZE THAT THE EU ITSELF HAS FOUND THESE FOODS TO BE NO 
MORE RISKY THAN TRADITIONAL FOODS.  THE EU HAS HAD BIOTECH 
CROPS (SOY AND CORN) ON THE MARKET FOR YEARS WITH NO ILL 
EFFECTS, AND DESPITE THIS IT IS RAISING ARTIFICIAL BARRIERS. 
WE ARE NOT ASKING THAT THE EU DISPENSE WITH ITS APPROVAL 
PROCESS, BUT RATHER ASKING IT TO START USING IT. 
ROSSIN 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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