VZCZCXRO4249
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHFR #4646 3391428
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051428Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1375
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2779
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC

UNCLAS PARIS 004646 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AGMINCOUNSELOR 
STATE FOR OES; EUR/ERA(GRAY); EEB/TPP/ABT/BTT (BOBO); 
STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY/CLARKSON; 
OCRA/CURTIS; 
STA/SIMMONS/JONES/HENNEY/SISSON; 
EU POSTS PASS TO AGRICULTURE AND ECON 
GENEVA FOR USTR, ALSO AGRICULTURE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR SENV ECON ETRD EU FR
SUBJECT: FRANCE'S DRAFT BIOTECH BILL 
 
REF:  PARIS 4606 
 
¶1.  (SBU) The final version of the French biotech bill, transmitted 
on November 30 to the Council of State (in French, "Conseil d'Etat) 
for review, is very similar to the preliminary version described in 
reftel with the notable exception that not only farmers but seed 
companies will be held liable for accidental biotech presence. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Key points of the bill are: (1) biotech farmers must 
contribute to a "financial guarantee" covering economic loss to a 
conventional crop due to accidental presence of biotech material 
(the language on this is less specific than in earlier drafts with 
regard to mechanism); (2) seed distributors must also contribute 
(compared to full responsibility solely on farmers in the 
preliminary version); (3) location of biotech crops at the parcel 
level will be publicly available (as in earlier draft); (4) biotech 
authority name change from "High Authority on Biotechnology" to 
"High Authority on GMOs" with 2 committees, one scientific, and the 
other socio-economic. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The Council of State is projected to have the bill's legal 
format and Constitutional compatibility assessment completed by 
December 19, after which the French Council of Ministers is expected 
to support the bill and officially transfer it to the French 
Parliament, for a vote in January. 
 
 
STAPLETON