VZCZCXRO3807
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDF RUEHHM RUEHIK RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA RUEHPB
RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHPG #0092 0480638
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 170638Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1136
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS PRAGUE 000092 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES DANIELLE WOOD, OES/EGC, OES/ENV, EAP/CM AND EB 
STATE FOR EEB/TPP/MTAA/ABT MARCELLA SZYMANSKI 
USDA/FAS FOR STEVE FROGGETT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD TBKIO KPAO EZ
SUBJECT: CZECH REPUBLIC -- DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON LIABILITY 
AND REDRESS UNDER THE CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ON BIOSAFETY 
 
REF: STATE 11910 
 
(U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified. 
 
¶1. (SBU) On February 12 we delivered reftel demarche to 
Environment Ministry Representative for the Cartagena 
Protocol Hana Jirakova and her colleague Josef Kubicek. 
Jirakova, who co-ordinates the respective EU member states 
positions, reported that the European Commission is the only 
body competent to negotiate Cartagena Protocol rules on 
liability and redress on the EU's behalf.  Per Jirakova, the 
EU will be represented in Mexico City by two representatives: 
one from the EU Commission and the other one from the Czech 
EU Presidency, with the Commission having the final word. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Jirakova said that the EU working group held an 
informal meeting last week in Prague but has not yet 
finalized its position.  She noted that Commission Rep 
Matthias Buck will meet next week in Brussels  with the U.S. 
representative, by which time the EU should have finalized 
its position.  Jirakova believes that the February 23-27 
Mexico City Group of Friends of the Co-chairs meeting will 
finalize the text on liability and redress.  The Ministry's 
legal counsel Eva Adamova, currently in Nairobi, will lead 
the five-member Czech EU Presidency delegation, which will 
also include Jirakova and Kubicek in supporting roles. Within 
the Czech Republic, the Environment Ministry has the sole 
authority over Cartagena Protocol issues. 
Thompson-Jones