VZCZCXRO5955
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHFR #3348 2211356
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091356Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9396
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2721
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 0270

UNCLAS PARIS 003348 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AGMINCOUNSELOR 
USDA/OS/JOHANNS/TERPSTRA; 
USDA/FAS FOR OA/YOST; 
OCRA/CURTIS 
OSTA/CHEN-MOULEC 
EC/PPDED/TABOR 
FAA/YOUNG/SCHAYES 
EU POSTS PASS TO AGRICULTURE AND ECON 
GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD EU FR MY
SUBJECT: AS A SECULAR COUNTRY, FRANCE DOES NOT OFFICIALLY CERTIFY 
HALAL PRODUCTS 
 
REF:  WASHDC 684861 
 
¶1. In response to reftel, FAS Paris confirms that the Governement of 
France (GOF) has not signed any agreement, nor is currently in 
negotiation with, Malaysia regarding any halal related issue. As 
halal is perceived as a religious attestation and not a 
phytosanitary requirement, France has no government-established 
standards for halal certification. France is a negligible meat 
exporter to Malaysia, with less than 100 MT of meat exported 
(poultry meat and beef offals) in CY 2006. 
 
¶2. Halal food producers can choose to have their products certified 
as halal by a private organization of their choice or of their 
customers' choice. 
 
¶3. France primarily exports poultry meat to Muslim countries such as 
Saudi-Arabia, the UAE, Iran and Yemen. An Imam usually paid by the 
French exporter, and approved by the importer, certifies that the 
plant has been prepared according to religious precepts and ensures 
that the slaughter is performed under Muslim ritual by a swift cut 
of the throat. France allows by derogation, that animals slaughtered 
under halal rites (as well as under kosher rites) are not stunned 
before slaughter.  Outside of plants which only process halal meat, 
most slaughterhouses limit their halal slaughter to a few days or 
hours per week. 
 
Pekala