VZCZCXRO0397
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBM #0232/01 0961144
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 061144Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9395
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY 0032

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BUCHAREST 000232 
 
STATE FOR EB/TPP/MTAA/ABT JBOBO AND MSZYMANSKI; EUR/CE FOR ASCHEIBE 
SOFIA FOR AG ATTACHE FOR HVANHUYNH 
USDA FOR FAS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD TBIO KPAO RO
SUBJECT: ROMANIA: SUCCESSFUL BIOTECH OUTREACH TO NEW GOVERNMENT 
OFFICIALS 
 
REF: A) BUCHAREST 29; B) STATE 20108; C) BUCHAREST 120 
 
Sensitive But Unclassified; not for Internet distribution. 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY:  On March 16 and 17, DOS Senior Advisor for 
Biotechnology Jack Bobo visited Romania to meet with new Romanian 
government officials to advocate for the benefits of agricultural 
biotechnology.  Mr. Bobo's visit was supported by biotech outreach 
funds from EEB (refs A and B).  Post's Economic Section and Foreign 
Agricultural Service also organized a mid-level roundtable to 
discuss biotech safety and regulation issues in the EU.  Officials 
and participants indicated continuing support for agricultural 
biotechnology in Romania and discussed ways to strengthen their 
pro-biotech voice within the EU.  Industry representatives plan to 
initiate the first stacked field testing in Europe this season in 
western Romania.  END SUMMARY. 
 
MEETINGS WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Following on post's previous biotech outreach efforts to 
farmers and academics, post sought to capitalize on an opportunity 
to discuss and educate new Romanian government officials about 
agricultural biotechnology.  Under the previous government, the 
Agriculture and Environment Ministries disagreed about the use of 
biotechnology crops in Romania.  However, the new officials at the 
ministries have a more cooperative relationship as evidenced by 
Romania's recent supportive vote in the EU for the cultivation of 
two new additional biotech corn varieties (reftel C).  Mr. Bobo met 
with representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture and 
Environment as well as the National Veterinary Authority. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) At the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Vasile Bacila, Chief 
Adviser to Minister Ilie Sarbu, reiterated the Minister's support of 
agricultural biotechnology extending back to his previous term as 
Agriculture Minister prior to 2004.  Bacila also highlighted 
Romanian efforts to use biotechnology for biofuel production. 
However, he opined that the cost may be too high for large-scale 
production.  He also stated that Minister Sarbu recently traveled to 
Brussels to lobby for biotech agricultural options in the 
Environment Committee, but was told he would need to wait for 
further approval from the European Food Safety Authority.  (Note: 
Sarbu's daughter, Daciana-Octavia Sarbu, is a member of the European 
Parliament, sits on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety 
Committee, and is strongly anti-biotech). 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Mr. Bobo also met with the new President (State Secretary 
equivalent) at the Veterinary Authority, Marian Zlotea, and his 
office directors, Liviu Rusu and Nicolae Lazar.  Mr. Zlotea is a 
former EU parliamentarian and has experience working in the EU 
structures.  While he expressed support for biotechnology, he also 
mentioned the difficulty in meeting stringent EU requirements with 
regards to biotech traceability issues.  Concerning the promotion of 
biotechnology in Romania, he expressed frustration that government 
officials must advocate for agricultural biotechnology.  In his 
opinion, private industry should better organize biotech supporters 
to ensure their voices lead public debate, not the government.  He 
felt the showdown between the government and green groups only 
further erodes public support for biotechnology because citizens 
remain skeptical of government-supported programs.  Mr. Zlotea 
stated he prefers that the government be a mediator in the debate, 
not an advocate.  He also commented that the GOR is under pressure 
from other EU member states such as Austria, Hungary and France 
regarding Romania's pro-biotech stance and that Romania needs more 
support within the European Commission because it can not stand 
alone in the face of anti-biotech members. 
 
¶5.  (U) The Veterinary Authority expressed particular interest in 
the "EnviroPig," which Mr. Bobo said is under development in the 
U.S.  The genetically-modified animal is intended to reduce 
greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent.  (Note: Romania is a large 
pork producing and consuming society.)  Zlotea and his office 
directors seemed open to the possibility of using such options in 
the future and would like more information and research on 
transgenic and cloned animals. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Additionally, Mr. Bobo met at the Ministry of Environment 
with two of Minister Nicolae Nemirschi's personal counselors, 
Iozefina Lipan and Irina Tudorache, and Office Director Silviu 
Megan.  All expressed openness to the possibilities of agricultural 
biotechnology, especially for biofuels, but remained concerned about 
the impact of such products on the environment, especially with 
regard to co-existence problems.  As per reftel C, they reiterated 
their continued need for more science-based studies ensuring the 
safety of biotech applications. 
 
 
BUCHAREST 00000232  002 OF 003 
 
 
WORKING LEVEL ROUNDTABLE 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The working level roundtable was attended by twenty 
representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment, 
Foreign Affairs and the Veterinary Authority.  In his presentation, 
Mr. Bobo reiterated the role that agricultural biotechnology has in 
addressing global challenges in food security, energy and the 
environment.  He mentioned that Romania has a strong agricultural 
history and experience in growing biotech crops, especially prior to 
joining the EU, highlighting that the scientific approach is the key 
to success.  His information was well received; Romanian 
counterparts expressed enthusiasm for the continued use of biotech 
products and expressed frustration over the European approach 
banning soy and efforts hampering further expansion of biotech 
crops.  Mr. Bobo further encouraged Romanian policy makers to play 
an active role in the EU to preserve biotech options for farmers. 
 
¶8.  (U) In addition to Mr. Bobo's presentation, Parliamentarian and 
President of the Agricultural Commission Valeriu Tabara provided an 
overview of the political situation in the EU, urging adoption of a 
more scientific EU approach in order to use biotechnology to help 
with problems in food security, climate change, drought and 
flooding.  Additionally, he noted the economic impact of the post-EU 
accession ban on biotech soybean cultivation in Romania and 
estimated that it has cost farmers up to 500 million USD in lost 
revenue. 
 
¶9.  (U) Senior Advisor for Biotechnology at the Ministry of 
Agriculture, Ms. Tatiana Preda, also presented information that the 
government is undertaking changes to improve co-existence laws and 
expects a continued increase in the planting of biotech corn in the 
coming year, up to 12,000 hectares in 2009.  She also discussed the 
environmental benefits of biotech crops in biofuel production, but 
like Mr. Bacila she expressed concern about the cost effectiveness. 
 
 
PRESS INTERVIEWS 
 
¶10.  (U) Mr. Bobo also conducted interviews with the Jurnal 
National, Romania's largest circulation newspaper, and with the 
agricultural trade magazine AgroTerra.  These interviews should be 
published shortly, and post will provide translated copies to the 
Department.  Post also used EEB funds for biotech outreach to 
translate an article on biotech in Romania by Dr. Peter Gregory, who 
visited Romania twice in biotech promotion programs post organized 
in 2008.  The article was published in AgroTerra to coincide with 
Mr. Bobo's visit. 
 
NEW INDUSTRY-INITIATED STACKED FIELD TESTING 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Mr. Bobo also met with industry representatives from 
Monsanto and Syngenta (he had met with a Pioneer representative 
during his prior stop in Hungary).  The industry officials noted 
that anti-biotech EU member states, particularly France, are 
lobbying the GOR to change its position on biotechnology.  The 
representatives agreed that organizing a group of pro-biotech 
supporters would be beneficial and could help support Romania and 
other newer EU member states to exchange experiences with more 
developed countries such as Spain, thereby banding their voices 
together in dealings with the Commission. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) As part of their outreach efforts, businesses plan to 
bring more Spanish researchers to educate Romanian authorities about 
crop co-existence isolation distances, since each state can 
establish its own isolation distances for biotech crops.  Romania's 
standard is currently 200 meters, but Bulgaria recently proposed a 
thirty kilometer distance, which could impact Romanian farms near 
the border.  With regard to the introduction of new varieties, 
industry members mentioned that Romania continues to have problems 
with weed population diversity and corn root worm, which are not 
addressed by MON810, but could be addressed by varieties 
commercially available in the U.S.  They expect Roundup Ready corn 
will be available in Romania in 2010 or 2011, followed by soy. 
Representatives stated Romanian farmers and officials do not 
understand that approval for the reintroduction of soy is necessary 
at the EU level, which is more difficult because compared to corn, 
soy is not as large a share of the market in other parts of the EU 
as it is in Romania. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) Currently, the companies are working together to create a 
field testing station in the Timisoara (western Romania) district of 
biotech supporter and Parliament member Mr. Tabara.  It would be the 
first in Europe to conduct field trials of stacked varieties, which 
combine two or more biotech traits, such as insect resistance and 
herbicide tolerance, in a single plant.  They expect to start this 
 
BUCHAREST 00000232  003 OF 003 
 
 
summer with biotech events from several companies and will stack up 
to eight traits in a single plant.  The goal is to use the site as a 
model for Europe and to bring farmers and politicians from elsewhere 
in the EU to prove the benefits of the technology.  Supporters 
believe Romania has the potential to be a leader in Europe on 
agricultural biotechnology, and a model field testing station and 
coalition of biotech-supportive countries could help Romania 
leverage political power in the EU.  Post will continue to work with 
industry representatives to support cooperative efforts amongst EU 
member countries on biotechnology. 
 
¶15.  (SBU) Comment:  Post would like to thank the Department for its 
continued financial support to allow post to conduct biotech 
outreach programs in Romania.  Mr. Bobo's visit and expertise helped 
solidify our relations with Romania's new government officials. 
Biotech supporters in-country greatly appreciate post's and the 
Department's activities to support Romanian officials in their 
efforts to promote pro-biotech policies in Europe.  Post will 
continue to work with these officials to strengthen their voices 
with other pro-biotech countries.  Additionally, post will 
coordinate with industry representatives as they develop the first 
stacked field testing in Europe on Romanian soil, which will no 
doubt help deepen Romania's experience and allow it to serve as a 
role model in the EU for pro-biotech education of farmers and policy 
makers.  End Comment. 
 
GUTHRIE-CORN