This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ZAGREB 000578 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EB/MTA/ATT 
 
VIENNA FOR FAS 
 
BUDAPEST FOR ENVIRO HUB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD SENV TBIO TSPL HR
SUBJECT: BAD TEST RESULTS FORCE GMO ISSUE 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (U) THE RECENT SCANDAL AROUND THE ALLEGED PRESENCE OF 
NON-APPROVED GMOS IN 14 FOOD SAMPLES HAS SPED THE ADOPTION 
OF REGULATIONS ON LABELING AND APPROVAL OF GMOS AND STIRRED 
PUBLIC DEBATE, EVEN THOUGH SUBSEQUENT TESTS FOUND THAT ONLY 
ONE OF THE SAMPLES HAD MORE THAN ONE PERCENT GMO CONTENT. 
THE GOVERNMENT HAS TRIED TO STRIKE A COMPROMISE POSITION 
PUBLICLY, BY SAYING THAT IMPORTS OF GMOS WOULD BE PERMITTED, 
IF LABELED, BUT THAT CROATIA WOULD REMAIN "GMO FREE" BECAUSE 
SOWING OF GM CROPS WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED.  THE GOVERNMENT HAS 
ADOPTED THE EU-APPROVED LIST OF GM PRODUCTS AND THE EU 
THRESHOLD OF 0.9 PERCENT FOR LABELING.  MEANWHILE, VARIOUS 
REGIONS ARE CONSIDERING FOLLOWING ISTRIA'S LEAD IN DECLARING 
"GMO-FREE" ZONES.  END SUMMARY. 
 
THE STORM BREAKS 
---------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) IN FEBRUARY, CROATIAN NATIONAL TELEVISION ANNOUNCED 
THAT THE FIRST TESTING OF GMO PRESENCE IN FOOD SAMPLES WAS 
DONE IN AN OSIJEK (IN THE RURAL EAST OF CROATIA) FOOD 
QUALITY-BIOTECHNOLOGY TESTING LABORATORY.  ONE OF ONLY TWO 
BIOTECH TESTING LABS IN CROATIA, THE FACILITY LACKS ISO 
CERTIFICATION.  IT TESTED 33 FOOD SAMPLES FOR QUALITY AND 
GMO PRESENCE.  IN 14 SAMPLES FROM BOTH CROATIAN AND FOREIGN 
COMPANIES, IT REPORTED MORE THAN ONE PERCENT OF GMO 
PRESENCE.  IN ADDITION, IT DETECTED MEAT IN "VEGETARIAN" 
    PATE AND PORK AND BEEF IN "CHICKEN" PATE.  THE GMO 
"CONTAMINATED" PRODUCTS WERE SOY AND SOY PRODUCTS, 
VEGETARIAN PATE, CORN FLAKES, OIL, AND CANNED CORN. 
 
¶3.  (U) THE STORY DOMINATED THE HEADLINES FOR SEVERAL DAYS, 
AND POPPED UP INTERMITTENTLY FOR WEEKS.  MOST NEWS STORIES 
WERE FAIRLY MATTER-OF-FACT -- NON-LABELED GMOS HAVE BEEN 
FOUND IN FOOD.  SOME NEWS PROGRAMS EVEN NOTED THAT NO 
HARMFUL EFFECTS OF GMOS HAD BEEN PROVEN.  HOWEVER, THE MERE 
FACT THAT GMOS WERE FOUND PROMPTED A PUBLIC OUTCRY.  GREENS 
PORTRAYED THE RESULTS AS VINDICATION OF YEARS OF DIRE 
WARNINGS, AND RENEWED CALLS FOR A TOTAL BAN ON BIOTECH. 
(IRONICALLY, GMOS WERE ALREADY DE FACTO BANNED.  WHILE A LAW 
HAD BEEN PASSED ALLOWING THE IMPORT OF GMOS ONCE REGISTERED 
AND LABELED, IN THE ABSENCE OF REGULATIONS, NO PERMITS COULD 
BE ISSUED.)  AS A RESULT OF THE FUROR, CONSUMERS THREATENED 
TO SUE COMPANIES THAT DID NOT LABEL GMOS, CONSUMER GROUPS 
DEMANDED THAT THE COMPANIES IN QUESTION BE PUNISHED, 
PRODUCERS THREATENED THE LAB FOR PUBLISHING PARTIAL 
INFORMATION, SUPERMARKETS PLEDGED TO WITHDRAW THE FOOD 
CONTAINING GMOS, AND THE SANITARY INSPECTION SERVICE 
TIGHTENED UP INSPECTIONS ON THE BORDER, REQUESTING GMO-FREE 
CERTIFICATES FOR FRESH PRODUCE AND COMMODITIES, TAKING 
SAMPLES, ETC. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) A CONTACT IN PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES HEADQUARTERS 
FUMED TO US THAT THE LAB IN OSIJEK HAD ACTED IRREGULARLY AND 
IRRESPONSIBLY.  IN THE ABSENCE OF REGULATION OF LAST YEAR'S 
FOOD LAW, THERE WERE NO GUIDELINES FOR TESTING.  HE 
SPECULATED THAT THE SAMPLING WAS DONE TO CREATE AN UPROAR 
AND TO POLITICIZE THE ISSUE OF GMOS.  HE ALSO QUESTIONED THE 
    VALIDITY OF THE TESTING -- CORRECTLY AS IT TURNED OUT. 
 
¶5.  (U) THE ZAGREB PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE INITIALLY CROSS 
CHECKED 12 SAMPLES OF THE SAME PRODUCTS, BUT DIFFERENT LOTS 
BECAUSE THE OSIJEK LABORATORY DID NOT WANT TO SHARE ITS 
SAMPLES.  ONLY ONE SAMPLE HAD MORE THAN ONE PERCENT OF GMOS, 
FIVE HAD TRACES OF GMOS, AND SEVEN HAD NO GMOS.  AFTER THE 
ZAGREB LAB WAS FINALLY ABLE TO OBTAIN SAMPLES FROM THE 
OSIJEK LAB, AN ISO-CERTIFIED LABORATORY IN BERN PROVED THAT 
THE ZAGREB LABORATORY HAD THE CORRECT RESULTS AND THE OSIJEK 
LABORATORY WAS WRONG. 
 
¶6.  (U) THE ONE PRODUCT SAMPLE WITH OVER ONE PERCENT OF GMO 
PRESENCE WAS A SAUSAGE PRODUCED IN CROATIA BY A CROATIAN 
SUBSIDIARY OF THE SLOVENIAN COMPANY, PERUTNINA PTUJ.  THE 
SAUSAGE CONTAINED SOY EXTRACT THAT WAS PROBABLY BOUGHT FROM 
A DUTCH COMPANY WITH OFFICES IN ZAGREB.  THE MEDIA REPORTED 
THAT THE SOYBEANS WERE SOURCED FROM THE U.S. 
 
¶7.  (U) TWO OTHER SAMPLES COULD NOT BE CATEGORIZED AS GMO OR 
GMO-FREE.  ONE TESTED AT 0.76 PERCENT GMO PRESENCE IN ZAGREB 
AND 1.15 PERCENT IN BERN (IT WILL BE RETESTED) AND ANOTHER 
SAMPLE WAS CONTAMINATED WITH BROCCOLI VIRUS SIMILAR TO ONE 
GENETIC MODIFICATION (THAT PRODUCT CONTAINS BROCCOLI AND SOY 
BEANS). 
 
ZAGREB 00000578  001.2 OF 003 
 
IN 14 FOOD SAMPLES HAS SPED THE ADOPTION 
OF REGULATIONS ON LABELING AND APPROVAL OF GMOS AND STIRRED 
PUBLIC DEBATE, EVEN THOUGH SUBSEQUENT TESTS FOUND THAT ONLY 
ONE OF THE SAMPLES HAD MORE THAN ONE PERCENT GMO CONTENT. 
THE GOVERNMENT HAS TRIED TO STRIKE A COMPROMISE POSITION 
PUBLICLY, BY SAYING THAT IMPORTS OF GMOS WOULD BE PERMITTED, 
IF LABELED, BUT THAT CROATIA WOULD REMAIN "GMO FREE" BECAUSE 
SOWING OF GM CROPS WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED.  THE GOVERNMENT HAS 
ADOPTED THE EU-APPROVED LIST OF GM PRODUCTS AND THE EU 
THRESHOLD OF 0.9 PERCENT FOR LABELING.  MEANWHILE, VARIOUS 
REGIONS ARE CONSIDERING FOLLOWING ISTRIA'S LEAD IN DECLARING 
"GMO-FREE" ZONES.  END SUMMARY. 
 
THE STORM BREAKS 
---------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) IN FEBRUARY, CROATIAN NATIONAL TELEVISION ANNOUNCED 
THAT THE FIRST TESTING OF GMO PRESENCE IN FOOD SAMPLES WAS 
DONE IN AN OSIJEK (IN THE RURAL EAST OF CROATIA) FOOD 
QUALITY-BIOTECHNOLOGY TESTING LABORATORY.  ONE OF ONLY TWO 
BIOTECH TESTING LABS IN CROATIA, THE FACILITY LACKS ISO 
CERTIFICATION.  IT TESTED 33 FOOD SAMPLES FOR QUALITY AND 
GMO PRESENCE.  IN 14 SAMPLES FROM BOTH CROATIAN AND FOREIGN 
COMPANIES, IT REPORTED MORE THAN ONE PERCENT OF GMO 
PRESENCE.  IN ADDITION, IT DETECTED MEAT IN "VEGETARIAN" 
    PATE AND PORK AND BEEF IN "CHICKEN" PATE.  THE GMO 
"CONTAMINATED" PRODUCTS WERE SOY AND SOY PRODUCTS, 
VEGETARIAN PATE, CORN FLAKES, OIL, AND CANNED CORN. 
 
¶3.  (U) THE STORY DOMINATED THE HEADLINES FOR SEVERAL DAYS, 
AND POPPED UP INTERMITTENTLY FOR WEEKS.  MOST NEWS STORIES 
WERE FAIRLY MATTER-OF-FACT -- NON-LABELED GMOS HAVE BEEN 
FOUND IN FOOD.  SOME NEWS PROGRAMS EVEN NOTED THAT NO 
HARMFUL EFFECTS OF GMOS HAD BEEN PROVEN.  HOWEVER, THE MERE 
FACT THAT GMOS WERE FOUND PROMPTED A PUBLIC OUTCRY.  GREENS 
PORTRAYED THE RESULTS AS VINDICATION OF YEARS OF DIRE 
WARNINGS, AND RENEWED CALLS FOR A TOTAL BAN ON BIOTECH. 
(IRONICALLY, GMOS WERE ALREADY DE FACTO BANNED.  WHILE A LAW 
HAD BEEN PASSED ALLOWING THE IMPORT OF GMOS ONCE REGISTERED 
AND LABELED, IN THE ABSENCE OF REGULATIONS, NO PERMITS COULD 
BE ISSUED.)  AS A RESULT OF THE FUROR, CONSUMERS THREATENED 
TO SUE COMPANIES THAT DID NOT LABEL GMOS, CONSUMER GROUPS 
DEMANDED THAT THE COMPANIES IN QUESTION BE PUNISHED, 
PRODUCERS THREATENED THE LAB FOR PUBLISHING PARTIAL 
INFORMATION, SUPERMARKETS PLEDGED TO WITHDRAW THE FOOD 
CONTAINING GMOS, AND THE SANITARY INSPECTION SERVICE 
TIGHTENED UP INSPECTIONS ON THE BORDER, REQUESTING GMO-FREE 
CERTIFICATES FOR FRESH PRODUCE AND COMMODITIES, TAKING 
SAMPLES, ETC. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) A CONTACT IN PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES HEADQUARTERS 
FUMED TO US THAT THE LAB IN OSIJEK HAD ACTED IRREGULARLY AND 
IRRESPONSIBLY.  IN THE ABSENCE OF REGULATION OF LAST YEAR'S 
FOOD LAW, THERE WERE NO GUIDELINES FOR TESTING.  HE 
SPECULATED THAT THE SAMPLING WAS DONE TO CREATE AN UPROAR 
AND TO POLITICIZE THE ISSUE OF GMOS.  HE ALSO QUESTIONED THE 
    VALIDITY OF THE TESTING -- CORRECTLY AS IT TURNED OUT. 
 
¶5.  (U) THE ZAGREB PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE INITIALLY CROSS 
CHECKED 12 SAMPLES OF THE SAME PRODUCTS, BUT DIFFERENT LOTS 
BECAUSE THE OSIJEK LABORATORY DID NOT WANT TO SHARE ITS 
SAMPLES.  ONLY ONE SAMPLE HAD MORE THAN ONE PERCENT OF GMOS, 
FIVE HAD TRACES OF GMOS, AND SEVEN HAD NO GMOS.  AFTER THE 
ZAGREB LAB WAS FINALLY ABLE TO OBTAIN SAMPLES FROM THE 
OSIJEK LAB, AN ISO-CERTIFIED LABORATORY IN BERN PROVED THAT 
THE ZAGREB LABORATORY HAD THE CORRECT RESULTS AND THE OSIJEK 
LABORATORY WAS WRONG. 
 
¶6.  (U) THE ONE PRODUCT SAMPLE WITH OVER ONE PERCENT OF GMO 
PRESENCE WAS A SAUSAGE PRODUCED IN CROATIA BY A CROATIAN 
SUBSIDIARY OF THE SLOVENIAN COMPANY, PERUTNINA PTUJ.  THE 
SAUSAGE CONTAINED SOY EXTRACT THAT WAS PROBABLY BOUGHT FROM 
A DUTCH COMPANY WITH OFFICES IN ZAGREB.  THE MEDIA REPORTED 
THAT THE SOYBEANS WERE SOURCED FROM THE U.S. 
 
¶7.  (U) TWO OTHER SAMPLES COULD NOT BE CATEGORIZED AS GMO OR 
GMO-FREE.  ONE TESTED AT 0.76 PERCENT GMO PRESENCE IN ZAGREB 
AND 1.15 PERCENT IN BERN (IT WILL BE RETESTED) AND ANOTHER 
SAMPLE WAS CONTAMINATED WITH BROCCOLI VIRUS SIMILAR TO ONE 
GENETIC MODIFICATION (THAT PRODUCT CONTAINS BROCCOLI AND SOY 
BEANS). 
 
ZAGREB 00000578  002.1 OF 003 
 
HAVE FULL LABELING 
AND REGISTRATION REGULATIONS IN PLACE, IMPORTERS SAY THEIR 
CUSTOMERS (ESPECIALLY SUPERMARKETS) ARE ASKING FOR PROOF 
THAT PRODUCTS ARE GMO-FREE AND BORDER INSPECTORS ARE 
REQUESTING LAB CERTIFICATES THAT IMPORTS ARE GMO FREE.  THIS 
IS A PROBLEM FOR INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES WHICH SOURCE THEIR 
INPUTS ON WORLD MARKETS WHERE IT IS CUSTOMARY TO ACCEPT A 
STATEMENT FROM A SUPPLIER THAT THE PRODUCT IS GMO-FREE. 
THEY ONLY REQUEST A LAB CERTIFICATE IF THEY DISCOVER THAT 
THE SUPPLIER IS NOT RELIABLE. 
 
¶9.  (U) EVEN SOME CROATIAN EXPORTERS HAVE TO GIVE GMO-FREE 
CERTIFICATES TO THEIR FOREIGN CUSTOMERS.  ONE EXAMPLE IS A 
SLOVENIAN COOKING OIL FACTORY THAT IS ASKING ITS CROATIAN 
SUPPLIER TO CERTIFY ITS SUNFLOWER OIL AS GMO-FREE, DESPITE 
THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NO GMO SUNFLOWERS BEING 
COMMERCIALIZED. 
 
THE GOVERNMENT'S NEXT STEPS 
--------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (U) THE COMPANY THAT PRODUCED THE SAUSAGE WITH GMO 
PRESENCE HAD TO WITHDRAW IT FROM THE MARKET (THEY DID SO 
VOLUNTARILY), AND MAY BE PUNISHED FOR NOT LABELING GMO 
PRESENCE, FOR WHICH FINES ARE SEVERE.  IN THEIR FAVOR IS THE 
FACT THAT THERE WERE NO REGULATIONS THAT ESTABLISHED 
    THRESHOLDS, DETAILS OF LABELING, OR TESTING REQUIREMENTS. 
 
¶11.  (U) IN REACTION TO THE UPROAR, THE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT 
SPED UP THE PROCEDURE OF FORMING THE FOOD AGENCY AND QUICKLY 
DRAFTED REGULATIONS FOR GMO LABELING AND THRESHOLDS. 
REGULATIONS ON REQUIREMENTS FOR BIOTECH TESTING LABS WILL BE 
PREPARED WITHIN A MONTH, AND PROCEDURES ON "NOVELTY FOOD 
APPROVALS" IN SIX MONTHS. 
 
¶12.  (U) AT ITS MARCH 12 SESSION, THE GOVERNMENT ADOPTED 
THE REGULATION ON THE LEVEL OF GMO IN PRODUCTS PLACED ON 
THE MARKET.  THIS REGULATION STIPULATES THAT PRODUCTS 
CONTAINING ACCIDENTAL OR TECHNOLOGICALLY UNAVOIDABLE TRACES 
OF ALLOWED GMO AT THE LEVEL OF 0.9 PERCENT OR LESS IN A 
PRODUCT OF ONE INGREDIENT, OR 0.9 PERCENT OR LESS OF 
ALLOWED GMO OF EACH INGREDIENT OF THE PRODUCT, NEED NOT BE 
MARKED AS PRODUCTS CONTAINING GMO.  AN EXCEPTION TO THIS 
THRESHOLD IS REPRODUCTIVE PLANT MATERIAL (SEED) CONTAINING 
GMO IN ANY AMOUNT, WHICH MUST BE MARKED. 
 
¶13.  (U) UNTIL ALL IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS ON PERMISSION 
TO PLACE GMOS AND PRODUCTS CONTAINING GMOS ON THE MARKET IN 
THE CROATIA ARE ADOPTED, ONLY THE EU-APPROVED LIST OF 15 
VARIETIES OF SOY, CORN, RAPESEED AND COTTON ARE PERMITTED. 
 
STRANGE DEFINITION OF "GMO-FREE" 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶14.  (SBU) CROATIAN HEALTH MINISTER ANDRIJA HEBRANG, WHO IS 
ALSO THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER FOR THE ECONOMY, COMMENTED, 
"THE POSITION OF THE GOVERNMENT IS THAT CROATIA MUST BE A 
    GMO-FREE COUNTRY AND GMO PRODUCTS WILL NOT BE PRODUCED IN 
CROATIA.  THOSE IMPORTED FROM ABROAD MUST BE SUBJECT TO 
STRINGENT CHECKS."  HOWEVER, THERE IS NO LEGAL WAY TO 
DECLARE THE COUNTRY OR A REGION "GMO-FREE," ALTHOUGH THE LAW 
ON PROTECTION OF NATURE DOES HAVE PROVISIONS TO DECLARE 
CERTAIN AREAS GMO-FREE TO PROTECT NATURE PRESERVES, TOURISM 
OR ORGANIC PRODUCTION.  THAT DID NOT STOPPED ISTRIA COUNTY 
FROM DECLARING ITSELF "GMO-FREE" LAST YEAR.  AT THE TIME, 
THE COUNTY PREFECT SHEEPISHLY ADMITTED TO US THAT HE HAD NO 
LEGAL BASIS TO DO SO, AND NO WAY TO ENFORCE IT.  BUT "IT'S A 
TYPE OF MARKETING," HE DECLARED.  POZESKO-SLAVONSKA AND 
KRAPINSKO-AAGORSKA COUNTIES FOLLOWED SUIT.  RECENTLY EIGHT 
HSS (CROATIAN PEASANT'S PARTY) COUNTRY PREFECTS SUGGESTED 
TO THEIR COUNTY ASSEMBLIES TO DECLARE GMO-FREE ZONES AS 
WELL. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶15.  (SBU) WHILE THE OSIJEK LAB WAS SHOWN TO BE INCOMPETENT, 
IT IS LIKELY THAT THE FOES OF BIOTECHNOLOGY SCORED PUBLIC 
RELATIONS POINTS, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT-TERM.  AT THE MARCH 
12 GOVERNMENT MEETING, THE CABINET DECIDED TO BASE THE NEW 
FOOD AGENCY -- WHICH WILL APPROVE NEW BIOTECH PRODUCTS FOR 
MARKETING -- IN OSIJEK.  THE GENESIS OF THIS DECISION WAS 
NOT ENTIRELY RELATED TO THE GMO-TESTING ISSUE -- THERE HAS 
 
ZAGREB 00000578  002.2 OF 003 
 
HAVE FULL LABELING 
AND REGISTRATION REGULATIONS IN PLACE, IMPORTERS SAY THEIR 
CUSTOMERS (ESPECIALLY SUPERMARKETS) ARE ASKING FOR PROOF 
THAT PRODUCTS ARE GMO-FREE AND BORDER INSPECTORS ARE 
REQUESTING LAB CERTIFICATES THAT IMPORTS ARE GMO FREE.  THIS 
IS A PROBLEM FOR INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES WHICH SOURCE THEIR 
INPUTS ON WORLD MARKETS WHERE IT IS CUSTOMARY TO ACCEPT A 
STATEMENT FROM A SUPPLIER THAT THE PRODUCT IS GMO-FREE. 
THEY ONLY REQUEST A LAB CERTIFICATE IF THEY DISCOVER THAT 
THE SUPPLIER IS NOT RELIABLE. 
 
¶9.  (U) EVEN SOME CROATIAN EXPORTERS HAVE TO GIVE GMO-FREE 
CERTIFICATES TO THEIR FOREIGN CUSTOMERS.  ONE EXAMPLE IS A 
SLOVENIAN COOKING OIL FACTORY THAT IS ASKING ITS CROATIAN 
SUPPLIER TO CERTIFY ITS SUNFLOWER OIL AS GMO-FREE, DESPITE 
THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NO GMO SUNFLOWERS BEING 
COMMERCIALIZED. 
 
THE GOVERNMENT'S NEXT STEPS 
--------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (U) THE COMPANY THAT PRODUCED THE SAUSAGE WITH GMO 
PRESENCE HAD TO WITHDRAW IT FROM THE MARKET (THEY DID SO 
VOLUNTARILY), AND MAY BE PUNISHED FOR NOT LABELING GMO 
PRESENCE, FOR WHICH FINES ARE SEVERE.  IN THEIR FAVOR IS THE 
FACT THAT THERE WERE NO REGULATIONS THAT ESTABLISHED 
    THRESHOLDS, DETAILS OF LABELING, OR TESTING REQUIREMENTS. 
 
¶11.  (U) IN REACTION TO THE UPROAR, THE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT 
SPED UP THE PROCEDURE OF FORMING THE FOOD AGENCY AND QUICKLY 
DRAFTED REGULATIONS FOR GMO LABELING AND THRESHOLDS. 
REGULATIONS ON REQUIREMENTS FOR BIOTECH TESTING LABS WILL BE 
PREPARED WITHIN A MONTH, AND PROCEDURES ON "NOVELTY FOOD 
APPROVALS" IN SIX MONTHS. 
 
¶12.  (U) AT ITS MARCH 12 SESSION, THE GOVERNMENT ADOPTED 
THE REGULATION ON THE LEVEL OF GMO IN PRODUCTS PLACED ON 
THE MARKET.  THIS REGULATION STIPULATES THAT PRODUCTS 
CONTAINING ACCIDENTAL OR TECHNOLOGICALLY UNAVOIDABLE TRACES 
OF ALLOWED GMO AT THE LEVEL OF 0.9 PERCENT OR LESS IN A 
PRODUCT OF ONE INGREDIENT, OR 0.9 PERCENT OR LESS OF 
ALLOWED GMO OF EACH INGREDIENT OF THE PRODUCT, NEED NOT BE 
MARKED AS PRODUCTS CONTAINING GMO.  AN EXCEPTION TO THIS 
THRESHOLD IS REPRODUCTIVE PLANT MATERIAL (SEED) CONTAINING 
GMO IN ANY AMOUNT, WHICH MUST BE MARKED. 
 
¶13.  (U) UNTIL ALL IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS ON PERMISSION 
TO PLACE GMOS AND PRODUCTS CONTAINING GMOS ON THE MARKET IN 
THE CROATIA ARE ADOPTED, ONLY THE EU-APPROVED LIST OF 15 
VARIETIES OF SOY, CORN, RAPESEED AND COTTON ARE PERMITTED. 
 
STRANGE DEFINITION OF "GMO-FREE" 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶14.  (SBU) CROATIAN HEALTH MINISTER ANDRIJA HEBRANG, WHO IS 
ALSO THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER FOR THE ECONOMY, COMMENTED, 
"THE POSITION OF THE GOVERNMENT IS THAT CROATIA MUST BE A 
    GMO-FREE COUNTRY AND GMO PRODUCTS WILL NOT BE PRODUCED IN 
CROATIA.  THOSE IMPORTED FROM ABROAD MUST BE SUBJECT TO 
STRINGENT CHECKS."  HOWEVER, THERE IS NO LEGAL WAY TO 
DECLARE THE COUNTRY OR A REGION "GMO-FREE," ALTHOUGH THE LAW 
ON PROTECTION OF NATURE DOES HAVE PROVISIONS TO DECLARE 
CERTAIN AREAS GMO-FREE TO PROTECT NATURE PRESERVES, TOURISM 
OR ORGANIC PRODUCTION.  THAT DID NOT STOPPED ISTRIA COUNTY 
FROM DECLARING ITSELF "GMO-FREE" LAST YEAR.  AT THE TIME, 
THE COUNTY PREFECT SHEEPISHLY ADMITTED TO US THAT HE HAD NO 
LEGAL BASIS TO DO SO, AND NO WAY TO ENFORCE IT.  BUT "IT'S A 
TYPE OF MARKETING," HE DECLARED.  POZESKO-SLAVONSKA AND 
KRAPINSKO-AAGORSKA COUNTIES FOLLOWED SUIT.  RECENTLY EIGHT 
HSS (CROATIAN PEASANT'S PARTY) COUNTRY PREFECTS SUGGESTED 
TO THEIR COUNTY ASSEMBLIES TO DECLARE GMO-FREE ZONES AS 
WELL. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶15.  (SBU) WHILE THE OSIJEK LAB WAS SHOWN TO BE INCOMPETENT, 
IT IS LIKELY THAT THE FOES OF BIOTECHNOLOGY SCORED PUBLIC 
RELATIONS POINTS, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT-TERM.  AT THE MARCH 
12 GOVERNMENT MEETING, THE CABINET DECIDED TO BASE THE NEW 
FOOD AGENCY -- WHICH WILL APPROVE NEW BIOTECH PRODUCTS FOR 
MARKETING -- IN OSIJEK.  THE GENESIS OF THIS DECISION WAS 
NOT ENTIRELY RELATED TO THE GMO-TESTING ISSUE -- THERE HAS 
 
ZAGREB 00000578  003.1 OF 003 
 
IN THE RURAL EAST. 
HOWEVER, THE GOVERNMENT ALSO FELT A NEED TO PLACATE THE 
PUBLIC AND LOCAL OFFICIALS IN EASTERN CROATIA. 
 
¶16.  (SBU) EVEN WHILE MORE AND MORE CROATIANS MAY HAVE SOME 
UNDERSTANDING THAT GMOS ARE NOT HARMFUL, THEY WANT TO KNOW 
IF GMOS ARE IN THEIR FOOD, AND IF POSSIBLE, TO AVOID THEM. 
WHILE THE GOVERNMENT DECISION TECHNICALLY OPENS THE MARKET 
TO EU-APPROVED VARIETIES, WE DOUBT THAT LABELED GMOS WILL BE 
APPEARING ON SUPERMARKET SHELVES ANY TIME SOON, ALTHOUGH 
THEY MAY BE MAKING A (REPEAT) APPEARANCE IN FEED LOTS. 
 
FRANK 
 
ZAGREB 00000578  003.2 OF 003 
 
IN THE RURAL EAST. 
HOWEVER, THE GOVERNMENT ALSO FELT A NEED TO PLACATE THE 
PUBLIC AND LOCAL OFFICIALS IN EASTERN CROATIA. 
 
¶16.  (SBU) EVEN WHILE MORE AND MORE CROATIANS MAY HAVE SOME 
UNDERSTANDING THAT GMOS ARE NOT HARMFUL, THEY WANT TO KNOW 
IF GMOS ARE IN THEIR FOOD, AND IF POSSIBLE, TO AVOID THEM. 
WHILE THE GOVERNMENT DECISION TECHNICALLY OPENS THE MARKET 
TO EU-APPROVED VARIETIES, WE DOUBT THAT LABELED GMOS WILL BE 
APPEARING ON SUPERMARKET SHELVES ANY TIME SOON, ALTHOUGH 
THEY MAY BE MAKING A (REPEAT) APPEARANCE IN FEED LOTS. 
 
FRANK 
 
NNNN