VZCZCXRO7428
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHRL #0520/01 1260901
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060901Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4007
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC//USD
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0723

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BERLIN 000520 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR STATE/EB/BOBO 
USDA for OSEC/LAZARUS; OSEC/MILLER; FAS/OA/MICHENER; FAS/OCRA/NENON; 
FAS/OSTA/RMACKE, MCHESLEY, EPORTER, EJONES; 
FAS/OFSO/DYOUNG; FAS/ONA/GYOUNG, GDOUVELIS; FAS/OGA/RSCHWARZ 
STATE PASS USTR FOR MURPHY; CLARKSON; RWENTZEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD GM TBIO
SUBJECT:  SCENESETTER FOR GERMAN AGRICULTURE MINISTER AIGNER'S VISIT 
TO THE UNITED STATES 
 
REFS: a) STATE 73058 b) Munich 90 c) Berlin 447 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified. Protect Accordingly. NOT FOR INTERNET 
DISTRIBUTION 
 
¶1. SUMMARY.  (SBU) German Agricultural Minister Ilse Aigner's trip 
to New York and Washington, D.C. during the week of May 12-16, will 
be her first official visit to the United States since assuming her 
position in November 2008. Aigner is new to the international arena 
and this visit is billed as an information gathering trip.  The 
central focus is to learn more about the U.S. agricultural industry 
and the new Administration's agricultural policies.  Her trip gives 
the United States an opportunity to explain how German policy 
decisions, such as the cultivation ban on MON810 discourage the use 
of biotechnology in developing countries.  Minister Aigner is 
expected to raise the following issues: 1) biotechnology; 2) 
biofuels and sustainability; 3) WTO and the Doha Agenda; 4) WTO Beef 
Case; 5) The G8-process and FAO Reform; and 6) 2010 International 
Green Week. Some German Government officials have indicated that 
they hope Aigner will come home understanding that decisions she 
makes (i.e. MON810) have international implications. Meetings have 
also been requested with USTR and members of Congress.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
TRIP OVERVIEW 
 
¶2. (SBU) As follow-up to the G-8 Agricultural meeting, Ilse Aigner, 
Germany's Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection 
(BMELV), will travel to the United States May 12-16.  She will be in 
Washington, D.C. May 14-15 on the second leg of her trip after a 
United Nations Sustainability Conference in New York.  Minister 
Aigner is new to the international arena and would like to use this 
opportunity to learn more about the new Administration's positions 
on agricultural-related issues. Aigner's one-page biography has 
already been transmitted to USDA.  Aigner is expected to be 
accompanied by:  1) Dr. Dietrich Guth, Director General, EU-Affairs, 
International Affairs, and Fisheries; 2) Dr. Christian Grugel, 
Director General, Consumer Protection, Nutrition, Environment and 
Biotech; 3) Ms. Birgit Risch, Head of Division, Relations to 
non-European Countries; and 4) Mr. Klaus Kehrein, Head of Division, 
International Trade Policy.   Klaus Schumacher, from Toepfer 
International, Thomas Dosch, head of the organic farmers association 
Bioland, and Sabine Eichner Lisboa, from the German Food Processing 
Industry, are also expected to accompany Aigner's Delegation.  They 
will participate in roundtable discussions on sustainability and 
agricultural biotech.  Aigner is not expected to participate in the 
roundtable on biotechnology.  Aigner's visit to New York is 
primarily to return a favor to the Chair of the United Nation's 
Committee on Sustainability Development (CSD), Ms. Gerda Verburg. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  While Aigner has made several international trips since 
becoming Minister, this upcoming trip will be the highest profile 
for a number of reasons.  She is trying to support the 
rehabilitation of her political party (Christian Social Union or 
CSU) in Bavaria prior to the upcoming European Parliament elections 
on June 7 and German federal elections on September 27 (Ref B).  In 
addition, her trip to the United States is meant to give her an 
international presence and to show German agriculture that she is 
interested in the global agenda.  She also wants to emphasize with 
U.S. officials the role that sustainability will be playing in 
Germany and the EU in future agricultural policy actions. 
Privately, some German officials have commented that they hope that 
the U.S. visit will open Aigner's eyes to the international aspect 
of German agricultural policy decisions such as her recent decision 
to ban the cultivation of MON810 corn.  They have repeatedly pointed 
to their disappointment regarding this decision and realize that 
this has sent unhelpful signals to consumers, some other EU member 
states and to developing countries around the world. 
 
AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 
 
¶4. (SBU) Aigner continues to face criticism from all sides on 
agricultural biotechnology.  Anti-biotech groups applauded her 
decision to ban MON810 corn and were critical of her giving the 
go-ahead on Amflora potatoes while scientists, researchers and some 
farm groups criticized her ban on MON810 corn but expressed relief 
about her go-ahead for potatoes.  Recent press has focused less on 
the issue of biotechnology and more on the appearance that she is 
being managed by Horst Seehofer, Minister President of Bavaria and 
Aigner's political leader in the CSU.  Many BMELV officials continue 
to express their unhappiness with Aigner on the topic.  Agricultural 
 
BERLIN 00000520  002 OF 003 
 
 
experts inside and outside the Government see the recent issues as 
local politics and hope that if Chancellor Merkel prevails in the 
fall elections she will be willing to more effectively engage on the 
topic once election posturing ceases.  (Comment:  Aigner is taking 
political cues from Seehofer in Bavaria and doing what is deemed 
necessary to win upcoming elections.  It is unclear if she, with an 
engineering background, truly believes in her decisions.  In any 
event, it would be helpful for Aigner to better appreciate the 
international implications of her recent decision on the use of 
biotechnology in the developing world and the future of consumer 
acceptance of the technology.  End Comments.) 
 
BIOENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY 
 
¶5. (SBU) The German biodiesel industry expanded rapidly beginning in 
2005 to fill the expected demand for renewable energy.  However, it 
was hard hit by imports, rising commodity prices, and changes in 
German tax policies.  The German biofuels industry continues to be 
criticized for increased food prices and encouraging the use of feed 
stocks which do not address NGO concerns about cutting tropical rain 
forest down to supply biofuel feedstock.  As a result, Germany has 
been and remains at the front of the EU regarding support of 
anti-dumping duties on imports of U.S. biodiesel and the need for 
sustainability criteria for biofuels.  BMELV wants a closer 
relationship with USDA on biofuels research and sustainability to 
strengthen its interagency hand vis-`-vis the Environment Ministry. 
However, the domestic policy agenda regarding sustainability 
continues to far outpace progress at the EU level and in 
international fora, such as the Global Bioenergy Partnership, and 
continues to threaten access for $750 million in U.S. soybean 
exports to Germany.  (Comment:  Because it is leading the EU policy 
agenda on this issue, engagement with Germany on biofuels and 
sustainability has the benefit of helping shape EU policy from the 
ground up.  Given Germany's rush to closure on sustainability 
because of NGO pressure, it is important to be clear on what the 
United States expects in return for any engagement.    End 
Comment.) 
 
WTO AND THE DOHA AGENDA 
 
¶6. (SBU) About 25 percent of German agricultural production is 
exported, which makes maintaining and expanding international 
markets important to the German farming community and the food 
processing industry.  German agriculture has seen the benefits of 
the Uruguay Round particularly to U.S. agriculture and that one way 
to address some domestic issues such as the over-supply in the dairy 
industry is through exports.  Nonetheless, German agriculture will 
never be an enthusiastic supporter of trade liberalization; it will 
not, however, stand in the way of an agreement.  In that vein, some 
Government of Germany (GOG) agricultural officials have privately 
lamented that the Doha Agreement was not concluded and look to the 
new U.S. Administration to bring new life to the process.  Germany 
will continue to push for non-trade issues such as animal welfare, 
labor protection, and environmental standards to be included in the 
Doha negotiation process. 
 
WTO BEEF CASE 
 
¶7. (SBU) Across all Ministries, Germany has been quietly supporting 
efforts to resolve the U.S./EU WTO beef case, realizing that the 
current opportunity is optimal and knowing that more difficult 
issues in other areas lie ahead.  While Germany continues to blame 
France and Ireland as obstructing closure, GOG officials are 
sensitive to the anti-microbial treatment issue and how it will be 
addressed.  (Comment: With German chocolate targeted to account for 
over 10 percent of any new retaliation, Germany has an additional 
incentive to be helpful.  End Comment.) 
 
G-8 GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL PARTNERSHIP AND FAO REFORM 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The GOG and BMELV see themselves as having taken on a 
leading role in facilitating G-8 food security issues ever since the 
dramatic rise in food prices in 2008.  They point to recent pledges 
on short term food security and sustainable agriculture projects as 
evidence of their seriousness in this area.  BMELV also is proud of 
the closer working relationship it has developed over the past 18 
months with the United States on reforming the Food and Agricultural 
Organization.  Aigner will likely state her interest in further 
close coordination on these issues with the United States. 
 
2010 INTERNATIONAL GREEN WEEK 
 
BERLIN 00000520  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶9. (SBU) Each January, the "International Green Week" takes place in 
Berlin.  The 10-day event is part State Fair, part Farm Convention, 
and part trade show.  Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, Green Week 
has tried to re-invent itself from a Cold War fixture to a venue for 
German agriculture to educate consumers about food issues.  In the 
past year, BMELV implemented an Agriculture Ministers Conference 
(which replaced the East/West Forum) as a side event to discuss 
global policy-related issues and has stated its desire to make this 
a "world class, can't miss event."  In 2010, the Ministers' 
Conference will discuss the effect agriculture has had on climate 
change.  Minister Aigner is expected to extend to Secretary Vilsack 
an invitation to the 2010 Conference.  (Comment: GOG agriculture 
officials see USDA Secretarial participation at this event as giving 
it world class stature.  However, output from the last two years' 
events has been slim, and will likely continue to be.  With the 
European Commission and other countries such as Russia represented 
by Ministers, the meeting does give an opportunity for bilaterals 
with several trading partners.  End Comment.) 
 
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 
 
¶10.  BMELV sources indicate that Aigner's visit to New York is 
primarily to return a favor to the Chair of the United Nation's 
Commission Sustainability Development (CSD), Ms. Gerda Verburg, and 
Minister of Agriculture for the Netherlands.  Aigner and Verburg are 
expected to have follow-up meetings on food security related issues. 
 Aigner will also participate in the opening of the CSD's 
Ministerial Roundtable discussion on food security and is expected 
to have other meetings with UN officials.  Germany will host a side 
event on May 13 to highlight its domestic policy priorities 
regarding certification schemes for sustainability, particularly on 
feedstock for biofuels.  Germany carried out a similar event at 
WIREC 2008.  A bilateral discussion with South African officials is 
also planned. 
 
KOENIG