VZCZCXRO8947
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHFR #0062 0161353
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161353Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5257
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEAUSA/HHS WASHDC
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2986
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC

UNCLAS PARIS 000062 
 
SIPDIS 
 
BRUSSELS PASS USEU FOR AGMINCOUNSELOR 
STATE FOR OES; EUR/ERA; EEB/TPP/ABT/BTT (BOBO); 
STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY/CLARKSON; 
USDA/FAS FOR OA/HALE; 
OCRA/NENON; 
ONA/RIEMENSCHNEIDER/YOUNG/BERTSCH; 
OFSO/YOUNG; 
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: FRENCH MINAG RESPONDS TO RETALIATORY TARIFFS 
 
REF: STATE 00004100 
 
¶1.  On January 15, the French Ministry of Agriculture responded to 
the USG revised list of products subject to retaliatory tariffs. 
 
¶2.  Begin translation:  "Michel Barnier, French Minister of 
Agriculture and Fisheries, is disappointed in the U.S. decision to 
triple import tariffs on French Roquefort cheese, as announced on 
Thursday.  This sanction, announced as a retaliation against the EU 
ban on U.S. beef produced with hormones, is unjustified.  European 
legislation which banned the importation of beef produced with 
hormones in 1988, is based on a sanitary risk analysis. 
 
¶3.  Food safety and the preservation of our gastronomic heritage are 
requirements shared by the 27 EU Member States. France and Europe 
are dedicated to sourcing healthy food from our territories. 
Quality and safety policies must be developed simultaneously.  We 
are opposed to the introduction to the European market of beef 
produced with hormones and poultry treated with chlorine products. 
 
¶4.  Roquefort is a traditional product which represents the capacity 
of an industry to produce a safe product and maintain a gastronomic 
heritage known throughout the world at the same time. 
 
¶5. We are responding in several ways: 
a) At the end of 2008, Europe launched a new appeal in the WTO 
seeking legitimization of its policy. We hope an amicable dialogue 
with the new Obama administration will contribute to the resolution 
of this issue. 
 
b) We wish to support our exporters and plan to offer them 
promotional and other export support measures. 
 
c) Finally, there are new export markets for our Roquefort cheese 
producers.  On December 15, Michel Barnier signed a draft agreement 
with his Australian counterpart which opens the Australian market to 
Roquefort cheese. This followed an in-depth risk analysis by 
Australia. It was made possible thanks to the involvement of sheep 
milk producers and the Roquefort processing industry which met 
very-high microbiological standards." End translation.