VZCZCXRO6256
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHFR #2746 1771608
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261608Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8504
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHMRE/AMCONSUL MARSEILLE 1804
RUEHSR/AMCONSUL STRASBOURG 0442
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2698
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 6335

UNCLAS PARIS 002746 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AGMINCOUNSELOR 
STATE FOR EBB; OES; EUR/ERA; 
STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY; MOWRY/SANFORD; 
USDA/OS/JOHANNS/TERPSTRA; 
USDA/FAS FOR OA/YOST/JACKSON/ROSADO; 
OCRA/CURTIS/ALEXANDER; 
ONA/RIEMENSCHNEIDER/YOUNG; STA/SIMMONS/JONES/HENNEY 
OFSO/LEE/YOUNG; 
USDA/RMA FOR CALLAN 
EU POSTS PASS TO AGRICULTURE AND ECON 
GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD PGOV WTRO EUN FR PINR
 
SUBJECT: MICHEL BARNIER OUTLINES GOALS AS NEW FRENCH MINISTER OF 
AGRICULTURE, INITIATES BIOTECH DIALOGUE 
 
REF: (A) 2007 PARIS 2642; (B) 2007 PARIS 1448 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: THE NEW FRENCH MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE MICHEL BARNIER 
(REFTEL A) DELIVERED HIS FIRST OFFICIAL SPEECH AT THE YOUNG FRENCH 
FARMERS' UNION ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN EPINAL ON JUNE 21.  BARNIER 
ASSURED THE AUDIENCE THAT HE WILL DEFEND THE COMMON AGRICULTURAL 
POLICY, WILL ADVOCATE AN INCREASE IN FRANCE'S DEVELOPMENT OF 
BIOFUELS AND MAINTAIN A HARDLINE ON DOHA NEGOTIATIONS.  FINALLY, HE 
ANNOUNCED THE CREATION OF A HIGH COUNCIL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY TO ADDRESS 
THE SENSITIVE BIOTECH ISSUE. END SUMMARY 
 
 
¶2. BARNIER APPEARED BEFORE A LARGE AGRICULTURAL GATHERING LESS THAN 
48 HOURS AFTER HIS NOMINATION AS MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND 
FISHERIES.  HE BEGAN BY ACKNOWLEDGING CONCERNS ABOUT THE MINISTRY OF 
AGRICULTURE BUDGET, WHERE SEVERAL THOUSAND RETIRING EMPLOYEES WILL 
NOT BE REPLACED IN 2008.  MOVING TO EUROPEAN ISSUES, HE EMPHASIZED 
HIS AIM TO REINFORCE THE HARMONIZATION OF EUROPEAN RULES, 
SPECIFICALLY SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY REQUIREMENTS.  CONCERNING 
THE 2008 HEALTH CHECK OF THE COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY (A SIMPLE 
EVALUATION OF THE 2003 REFORM IN HIS WORDS), HE CALLED ON FRENCH 
FARMERS TO INCREASE THEIR DIALOGUE WITH  EUROPEAN COUNTERPARTS TO 
INCREASE FRANCE'S INFLUENCE WITHIN EUROPE.  IN HIS VIEW, THE FUTURE 
CAP SHOULD BE MORE SUSTAINABLE.  HE ALSO MENTIONED NEW TOOLS SUCH AS 
INSURANCE AS A MEANS TO SUPPORT AGRICULTURE IN THE FUTURE. 
 
¶3. BARNIER REASSURED THE FRENCH FARMERS AUDIENCE OF FRANCE'S 
"HARDLINE" STANCE IN THE WTO NEGOTIATIONS.  NOTE: AT THE TIME OF THE 
SPEECH, THE FAILURE OF THE POTSDAM TALKS HAD NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC - 
END NOTE.  HE SAID THAT HE WILL NOT BE COMPLACENT WITH PASCAL LAMY, 
HIS FORMER COLLEAGUE AT THE EU COMMISSION, STATING "THE EUROPEAN 
UNION SHOULD BE OPEN, NOT OFFERED." 
 
¶4. BARNIER HIGHLIGHTED FRANCE'S GROWING BIOFUEL PROGRAMS AND 
PROMISED TO INVIGORATE THEM, WITH THE CAVEAT THAT HE WILL ENSURE 
THEY DO NOT COMPETE WITH FOOD OR FEED PRODUCTION.  HE SAID THAT MORE 
MONEY WILL BE SPENT ON R&D ON NEW BIOFUELS DEVELOPMENTS SUCH AS 
CELLULOSIC BIOFUELS. 
 
¶5. IN CONTRAST TO PREVIOUS SPEECHES BY FRENCH MINISTERS OF 
AGRICULTURE, BARNIER EXPLICITLY ADDRESSED THE BIOTECH ISSUE. NOTE: 
PRIOR TO HIS NOMINATION, BARNIER WAS ON THE BOARD OF THE FRENCH 
MEDICAL AND BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANY, MERIEU -END NOTE.  HE INTRODUCED 
THE SUBJECT BY LINKING TRADITIONAL PLANT BREEDING TO MASTERING DNA 
MUTATIONS, SAYING THAT FRANCE MUST REMAIN ACTIVE AND TRANSPARENT IN 
THIS SCIENTIFIC EVOLUTION.  HOWEVER, HE EMPHASIZED, THAT AS A 
POLITICAL LEADER, HE MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT CONSUMER CONCERNS..  TO 
ACHIEVE THIS, HE ANNOUNCED THE CREATION OF A HIGH COUNCIL ON 
BIOTECHNOLOGY, WHICH WILL UNDERTAKE A PUBLIC DIALOGUE ON GMOS. NOTE: 
SUCH A HIGH COUNCIL WAS PROVIDED FOR IN THE BIOTECH BILL, WHICH WAS 
PASSED BY THE FRENCH SENATE IN MARCH 2006 BUT NOT BY THE NATIONAL 
ASSEMBLY (REFTEL B).  FAS PARIS CONTACTS SUGGEST THAT THIS LAW MAY 
GO TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN THE LATE AUTUMN, AFTER A LARGE FRENCH 
ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE. END NOTE 
 
¶5. COMMENT: MOST FARM ORGANIZATIONS AND FARM LEADERS ARE PLEASED 
WITH THE NOMINATION OF BARNIER.  HIS SPEECH IN EPINAL WAS WIDELY 
APPLAUDED.  FARM LEADERS BELIEVE THAT HIS STRONG EUROPEAN BACKGROUND 
(REFTEL A) WILL STRENGTHEN FRANCE'S POSITION AT THE EU LEVEL.  THEY 
DO HOWEVER FEAR THAT, DUE TO HIS PREVIOUS POSITION AS MINISTER OF 
ENVIRONMENT, HE MIGHT IMPOSE MORE STRINGENT ENVIRONMENTAL RULES ON 
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION. 
 
¶6. ON BIOTECH, WHERE THE CORN FARMERS ARE RAPIDLY EXPANDING 
PRODUCTION, AND THE REGULATORY COMMUNITY TENDS TO TAKE A REASONED, 
SCIENCE-BASED APPROACH, THE MAIN DETERRENT IS PUBLIC OPINION. 
MINISTER BARNIER, IN INITIATING A PUBLIC DIALOGUE, COULD HELP 
PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WITH OBJECTIVE INFORMATION THAT MAY COUNTER 
BALANCE THE MISINFORMATION DISSEMINATED BY ANTI-BIOTECH ACTIVISTS. 
HERETOFORE, THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT HAS NOT ATTEMPTED TO TACKLE THIS 
PROBLEM. END COMMENT. 
 
STAPLETON