US embassy cable - 03ROME526

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000526 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS USTR 
USDA FOR HEGWOOD 
USDA FOR FAS WASHDC PRIORITY 
USDA FOR FAS/OA/CHAMBLISS AND SLUTSKY, COTS/BLUM, 
ITP/SHEIKH AND MACKE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/7/08 
 
TAGS: EAGR, ETRD, IT, PGOV, EUN 
SUBJECT: ITALY/BIOTECH: GOVERNMENT SPLIT CONTINUES 
 
REF: 02 ROME 6137 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: ECONOMIC MINISTER-COUNSELOR SCOTT KILNER FOR REASONS 1.5 
(B)(D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: DESPITE SOME RECENT PRO-BIOTECH STATEMENTS 
FROM OUR ALLIES IN THE GOI, ITALIAN BIOTECH POLICY CONTINUES 
TO BE DRIVEN BY AGRICULTURE MINISTER ALEMANNO AND HIS 
ANTI-BIOTECH MESSAGE.  THE PRIME MINISTER APPEARS TO REMAIN 
UNWILLING TO RISK FRICTION WITH ALEMANNO'S FACTION OF THE AN 
PARTY, BERLUSCONI'S KEY PARTNER IN THE GOVERNMENT. 
NEVERTHELESS, VOICES OPPOSED TO ALEMANNO ARE GROWING LOUDER. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) FOLLOWING A JANUARY 22 MEETING BETWEEN PRIME MINISTER 
BERLUSCONI AND VISITING AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 
PRESIDENT THOMAS DONAHUE, DONAHUE ANNOUNCED PUBLICLY THAT THE 
PM HAD TOLD HIM THE GOI WOULD CONDUCT A POLICY REVIEW ON 
BIOTECHNOLOGY, WITH AN EYE TOWARD DEVELOPING A NEW POSITION 
BY THE SUMMER.  THE EXCHANGE WAS LATER CONFIRMED BY OUR 
CONTACTS IN THE ITALY AMCHAM WHO SAT IN ON THE MEETING. 
 
3.  (SBU) MINISTER OF PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES ANTONIO MARZANO, 
SPEAKING AT A JANUARY 23 SYMPOSIUM, SEEMED TO ECHO THIS 
POSITION, ENDORSING ALSO AN END TO THE EU MORATORIUM ON 
BIOTECH APPROVALS.  HIS COMMENTS WERE REINFORCED AT THE SAME 
CONFERENCE BY ITALIAN SENATE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN 
MAURIZIO RONCONI, WHO ARGUED THAT IT WAS ILLUSORY TO SUSTAIN 
THE THEORY OF A GM-FREE ITALY, AND THAT IT WAS TIME TO END 
THE MORATORIUM. 
 
4.  (SBU) HOWEVER, AGRICULTURE MINISTER ALEMANNO, AT THE SAME 
EVENT, ARGUED THAT "THE RISKS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY FAR OUTWEIGH 
THE BENEFITS" AND REAFFIRMED HIS INSISTENCE THAT ITALY REMAIN 
BIOTECH-FREE IN AGRICULTURE.  IN AN INTERVIEW THE FOLLOWING 
DAY, ALEMANNO SAID THAT HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND MARZANO'S 
COMMENTS AND THAT THEY NEEDED CLARIFICATION.  ALEMANNO 
ADMITTED THAT THERE WAS NO PROVEN HEALTH RISK FROM GMOS NOW 
ON THE MARKET, BUT HINTED ABOUT LONG-TERM RISKS.  HE INSISTED 
THAT AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY HAS NO PLACE IN ITALIAN 
AGRICULTURE.  ITALIAN AGRICULTURE, HE ASSERTED, IS "QUALITY 
AGRICULTURE" AND "HAS LITTLE TO GAIN BY INTRODUCING 
BIOTECHNOLOGIES," ADDING THAT "GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS 
WOULD SERIOUSLY DAMAGE OUR IMAGE AND OUR ECONOMY."  ASKED 
WHETHER THERE WAS ANY PROSPECT AT ALL OF INTRODUCING 
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS IN ITALIAN AGRICULTURE, HE 
RESPONDED: "NO, IN MY OPINION, FOR THE TIME BEING THERE IS TO 
BE NO TALK OF IT." 
 
5.  (C) SUBSEQUENT TO THESE EVENTS, THE AMBASSADOR HAD AN 
OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK CLARIFICATION FROM THE PRIME MINISTER'S 
CHIEF DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR, GIOVANNI CASTELLANETA, AS TO 
WHETHER PM BERLUSCONI TRULY INTENDED A SERIOUS REVIEW OF GOI 
BIOTECH POLICY, AS DOHAHUE HAD HEARD (AND MARZANO HAD 
STATED).  CASTELLANETA REPLIED THAT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN 
"SOME MISUNDERSTANDING;"  BERLUSCONI HAD ONLY MEANT TO CONVEY 
THAT HE WOULD "TRY AGAIN" TO DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH 
AGRICULTURE MINISTER ALEMANNO. 
 
6.  (C) COMMENT:  WHILE AGRICULTURE MINISTER ALEMANNO APPEARS 
TO REMAIN IN THE BIOTECH POLICY DRIVER'S SEAT FOR NOW, AND PM 
BERLUSCONI SO FAR REMAINS UNWILLING TO FORCE THE ISSUE, IT IS 
NOT INSIGNIFICANT THAT PRO-BIOTECH VOICES IN THE GOVERNMENT 
ARE GROWING LOUDER. 
SEMBLER 
 

 2003ROME00526 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL