VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWL #0073 0270424
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270424Z JAN 06
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2313
INFO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 0167
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 0027

UNCLAS WELLINGTON 000073 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
USDA FOR FAS-WESTCOT, FAS-EAMED AND APHIS-ACKERMAN 
USDOC FOR ITA-ZACHOS 
STATE PASS USTR-MOLNAR 
STATE FOR EB-MSINGER, EB-JSTRUBLE AND EAP/ANP-DRICCI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD EU WTRO NZ
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND ON EU'S PLAN TO REQUIRE DEBARKING OF 
WOOD PACKAGING MATERIALS 
 
REF: 05 STATE 210901 
 
¶1. (U) Post on November 21 delivered reftel points to the 
European Division of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs and Trade and to the International Policy Division of 
the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF).  In response, 
Meredith Stokdijk, acting director of MAF's International 
Policy Division, wrote in a January 20 letter that New 
Zealand would continue to encourage the European Union not to 
impose unilateral requirements for wood packaging materials 
that would likely undermine the adoption of the international 
standard, ISPM 15, internationally. 
 
¶2. (U) In her letter, Stokdijk said that her government 
acknowledged that the EU's debarking measure was not a 
standard requirement of ISPM 15.  "New Zealand does not 
believe that taking a measure against bark is unjustified, 
but rather that the implementation of any such requirement 
should not impede the international adoption of ISPM 15," she 
wrote. 
 
¶3. (U) Stokdijk noted that New Zealand requires all imported 
wood packaging materials (WPM) to be bark-free but that, 
rather than requiring debarking as part of ISPM 15 
compliance, bark "is removed or treated on arrival before 
being allowed clearance into New Zealand."  In essence, she 
wrote, this means that New Zealand's requirements do not 
impede the flow of ISPM 15-compliant WPM internationally. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Comment: Essentially, it is tough for the Kiwis to 
argue against the EU implementing a practice that New Zealand 
already requires.  New Zealand does share our concern that an 
EU debarking provision could cause serious disruptions to 
trade.  It also places the highest priority on the 
international adoption of ISPM 15.  New Zealand expects the 
EU probably will again suspend implementation of a debarking 
requirement for WPM for another year.  The International 
Plant Protection Convention's (IPPC) Technical Panel on 
Forest Quarantine is scheduled to meet in June 2006 and will 
review the technical merits supporting debarking as well as 
the feasibility of enforcement.  Michael Ormsby of 
Biosecurity New Zealand chairs the IPPC's technical panel. 
Burnett