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Viewing cable 10PRAGUE94, CHARGE'S MEETING WITH AGRICULTURE MINISTER SEBESTA

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
10PRAGUE94 2010-02-18 15:49 2011-08-24 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Prague
VZCZCXRO6905
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHPG #0094/01 0491549
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181549Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY PRAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2173
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
INFO RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 3355
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0244
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRAGUE 000094 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EEB/TPP/ABT, EUR/ERA 
STATE PASS TO USTR 
USDA FAS FOR ONA GYOUNG, AMANNIX; OSTA BMACKE CHAMILTON; 
OCRA/JHIGGISTON,SNENON, CRIKER; AND OFSO DYOUNG 
USEU FOR AG MINISTER COUNSELOR 
EU MEMBER STATES FOR AGR AND ECON 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD EZ PL
SUBJECT: CHARGE'S MEETING WITH AGRICULTURE MINISTER SEBESTA 
 
PRAGUE 00000094  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: On February 16, Charge d'Affaires Mary 
Thompson-Jones met Czech Agricultural Minister Jakub Sebesta to 
inquire about his position regarding the budget of the Common 
Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2013, U.S. beef access, and 
agricultural biotechnology.  Sebesta said that the Czech Republic 
did not support a CAP that created competition between national 
budgets.  Rather the Czech Republic supported equalizing direct 
payments, even if this meant lower levels of support.  He noted that 
the Czech Republic had not signed the February 3 Warsaw declaration 
as the government was still debating a unified position on CAP 
reform.  He showed an openness to U.S. positions on biotech and beef 
pathogen reduction treatments (PRTs) and noted his ministry was 
lobbying for a Government decision to support the elimination of the 
EU's zero tolerance rule on trace amounts of unapproved varieties 
found in imported agricultural commodities.  End Summary. 
 
------------------ 
The CAP after 2013 
------------------ 
2. (SBU) Thompson-Jones noted that nine agricultural ministers from 
the newer EU member states signed a declaration in Warsaw February 3 
calling for a fair EU budget process for the Common Agricultural 
Policy (CAP) and asked why the Czech Republic chose not to sign. 
Sebesta replied that the Czech government was still developing its 
position on the CAP budget post 2013 and needed a unified 
interagency position before it could consider joining the 
communique.  He noted that a unified EU stance on the new CAP budget 
had been a priority of the Czech EU presidency, but had been blocked 
by, among others, Poland.  He stressed that the Czech Republic 
supports a direct payment system not based on historical yields and 
which treats all member states fairly.  He added that this did not 
mean the Czech Republic would demand more money for its farmers. 
Rather the priority for the Czech Republic is a level playing field, 
even if this means reduced payments. 
 
3. (SBU) Sebesta reported that due to budgetary difficulties, the 
Czech Republic would only pay farmers between 60 and 65 percent of 
the top offs allowed this year.  In any case, he stressed that the 
Czech Republic wants to avoid permitting national payments in the 
future.  He argued that the EU should not just make agriculture a 
competition between national budgets, adding that there is no way 
the Czech Republic could compete with France.  (Comment: The current 
CAP direct payment system, which is based on historical yields 
rather than acreage planted, discriminates against farmers in the 
newer member states, who receive significantly less support for the 
same amount of production.  Frustration among farmers in Central and 
Eastern European (CEE) countries is growing as they continue to see 
their domestic markets being flooded by more heavily subsidized 
western European agricultural goods.  New member state farm 
protesters often display an EU flag with 27 stars, not 15, and 
agricultural producers want equality.  End Comment.) 
 
--------- 
PATHOGEN REDUCTION TREATMENTS (PRTs) FACE PROBLEMS IN EUROPE 
--------- 
4. (SBU) Thompson-Jones asked whether the Czech Agriculture Ministry 
would support EU approval of the use of U.S. pathogen reduction 
treatments (PRTs) in beef.  Sebesta referred the question to 
Stanislav Kozak, Deputy Minister responsible for commodities and 
Ministry oversight of the Czech Veterinary Service.  Kozak replied 
that it would be hard to believe that post production practices 
would be approved given that 26 member states had voted against 
their use for poultry.  He though it would be very difficult for the 
Member States to support such treatments because they would have to 
tell EU industries to allow Americans access when their food was 
produced with different standards and regulations.  This would be 
seen as unfair to the EU producers who had been forced to invest so 
much money into meeting all the requirements at each of the EU 
mandated critical points of production. 
 
5. (SBU) USDA Regional Agricultural Counselor Eric Wenberg 
emphasized that PRTs provide an additional benefit to consumers and 
that the beef in question already complies with EU regulations 
including that they contain no hormones.  Wenberg added that the 
European industry also wanted to use these compounds, most of which 
are organic and differ significantly from those used in PRTs for 
poultry.  Sebesta stressed that the Czechs had supported the U.S.-EU 
interim beef agreement during their EU presidency and were strong 
supporters of free trade.  He suggested that the United States 
needed to better educate the member states about PRTs if it expected 
their support.  He welcomed a U.S. industry visit or any technical 
 
PRAGUE 00000094  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
exchanges on this issue. 
 
------------ 
OTHER ISSUES: GMOs, OECD MINISTERIAL 
------------ 
6. (SBU) Thompson-Jones complimented the Czech Republic's continued 
support for new varieties of agricultural biotechnology.  Sebesta 
said his ministry strongly supported the use of Genetically Modified 
Organisms (GMOs) but noted that this position was not always shared 
by the Ministry of Environment (led by the Green Party).  He 
reported that his ministry was pushing for a Cabinet decision to 
support reform of EU legislation to eliminate the EU's current zero 
threshold for unapproved biotech varieties in imported shipments. 
 
7. (SBU) Sebesta noted that he will be unable to attend the upcoming 
OECD Agriculture Ministerial in Paris due to previously scheduled 
travel plans (he is going on a trade mission to Algeria), but noted 
that the Czech Republic will be represented by Jiri Sir, the 
Minister's advisor on EU and European issues.  During the Czech EU 
Presidency, Mr. Sir (pronounced SHEAR) headed the Agriculture and 
Environment Unit at the Czech EU Mission in Brussels.  Sebesta 
closed the meeting by fondly remembering his six weeks spent 
visiting and working on a Wisconsin dairy farm in 1994. 
 
8. (SBU) Comment.  The Czech Republic continues to demonstrate an 
openness to U.S. positions on biotech and beef access issues. 
Sebesta would like to see reform of the CAP, including possible 
budget cuts, but doubts that the Western European countries will 
willingly reduce their agricultural subsidies.  End comment. 
 
THOMPSON-JONES