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

UNCLAS PARIS 002317 
 
SIPDIS 
 
BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AGMINCOUNSELOR 
STATE FOR OES; EUR/ERA AND EBB; 
STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY; 
USDA/OS/JOHANNS, PENN, TERPSTRA AND RAYMOND; 
USDA/FAS FOR OA YOST/ROBERTS, SIMMONS/JONES; 
ITP/SHEIKH/MACKE/TOM POMEROY/MIKE WOOLSEY/GREG 
YOUNG; 
DLP WETZEL/MAGINNIS; 
FAA/SEBRANEK/BLEGGI; 
FSIS MCNIFF 
EU POSTS PASS TO AGRICULTURE AND ECON 
GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD EU KFLU TBIO FR
SUBJECT: USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety 
Meets with EFSA Executive Director 
 
 
¶1. On April 7, 2006, USDA Under-Secretary for Food 
Safety Richard Raymond met with recently-appointed 
Executive Director of the European Food Safety 
Agency (EFSA) Catherine Geslain-Laneelle in Paris. 
Ms. Geslain-Laneelle is currently Regional 
Director of Agriculture and Forestry for the 
French Ile de France region and Vice-President of 
EFSA Management Board. She was General-Director of 
Food in the Agriculture Ministry from 2000 to 
¶2003. 
 
¶2.  Ms. Geslain-Laneelle explained that one of her 
priorities as the Executive Director of EFSA will 
be to improve coordination among the various food 
safety agencies in European Member States and 
EFSA, so that assessments "don't diverge" and 
efforts are not duplicated. 
 
¶3.  In addition, Ms. Geslain-Laneelle showed great 
interest in building cooperation and improving 
information sharing between European food safety 
services and their American counterparts in order 
to contribute to international risk assessment 
efforts.  She asked for suggestions on topics to 
work on in cooperation with U.S. food safety 
services, and Under Secretary Raymond offered to 
share the report the Food Safety Inspection 
Service (FSIS) recently prepared on the 
recommendations for the public in cooking 
temperatures for poultry, with a view to 
establishing a joint position to "sell" to the 
WHO.  She agreed that this would be a positive 
starting point after which they could resume work 
on some of the more contentious issues, e.g., anti- 
microbial treatments. 
 
¶4.  Ms. Geslain-Laneelle emphasized the importance 
for EFSA of maintaining a completely scientific 
approach, citing biotech as an example.  She 
emphasized that GMO products are safe from a 
scientific standpoint and that, contrary to NGO 
allegations, EFSA experts must sign a conflict of 
interest declaration and are not beholden to 
industry. 
 
Stapleton