VZCZCXRO6408
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHFR #0835 0650558
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060558Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5354
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHMRE/AMCONSUL MARSEILLE 1568
RUEHSR/AMCONSUL STRASBOURG 0345
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2616
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC

UNCLAS PARIS 000835 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AGMINCOUNSELOR 
STATE FOR OES; EUR/ERA; 
STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY; 
USDA/OS/JOHANNS/TERPSTRA; 
USDA/FAS FOR OA/YOST; 
OCRA/CURTIS 
ONA/RIEMENSCHNEIDER 
FAA/YOUNG; 
EU POSTS PASS TO AGRICULTURE AND ECON 
GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD EU FR
SUBJECT: French President opposes further EU concessions in DDA 
negotiations. 
 
 
¶1. During an opening speech at the annual agricultural show in Paris 
on March 3rd, French President Jacques Chirac stated that he was 
-quote- extremely shocked by Mr Mandelson's giving more and more 
concessions without receiving compensation from the United States 
for concessions on agriculture and from emerging countries on 
industry and services. - end quote - 
 
¶2. President Chirac called all on Europeans to stand -quote- strong 
as rock -end quote- and not yield on Mr. Mandelson's proposals, 
which he condemned harshly.  He criticized Mandelson's ambition to 
conclude the DDA quickly and stated that German Chancellor Angela 
Merkel supports France's opposition to further concessions in the 
DDA. The EU Trade Commissioner's office responded that Mr. 
Mandelson's proposals were within the EU negotiating mandate. 
 
¶3. On March 5th, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, trying 
to calm the situation, said that France does not intend to block the 
DDA negotiations but wants to bring -quote- some common sense -end 
quote- back into the talks.  He repeated that agriculture should not 
be the only adjustable factor in the negotiations. 
 
Stapleton