VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTH #1619 3161609
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121609Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1032
INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS

UNCLAS ATHENS 001619 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
STATE PASS TO USTR FOR TANUJA GARDE AND DAWN SHACKLEFORD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ETRD EUN KIPR GR
SUBJECT: Greece Remains Wedded to EC position on Doha, Geographical 
Indications, and CBD 
 
REF: ATHENS 1569; STATE 104985 
 
¶1. (SBU) Following the October 23 demarche delivery to the MFA, 
EconOff re-delivered reftel demarche on November 10 to Tassos 
Protopappas, Director for International Trade Policy, and Nikos 
Georgopoulos, Director General for International Economic 
Relations, with the Directorate for International Trade Policy at 
the reorganized Ministry of Economy, Competitiveness, and Shipping. 
 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) Protopappas asserted that the Doha Round is steadily 
"slipping" for reasons that go far beyond Geographical Indications 
and the Convention for Biological Diversity.  He repeatedly stated 
that the United States is playing a large role in Doha's lack of 
forward momentum, but would not provide any details.  Two of his 
colleagues noted that the United States has failed to outline its 
position on services -- maritime services in particular. 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Geogopoulos noted that Greece does not stray from EC 
positions in Doha.  Greece has no stake in the Convention on 
Biological Diversity, but does support extending the higher level 
of protection afforded to wines and spirits to other products. 
Geogopoulos explained that there was a clear mandate for a 
mandatory register in 2001, and that to be effective, any register 
for geographical indications must be mandatory and have legal 
consequences in other WTO member states.  He recognized that the 
United States prefers to focus on expansion of market access, but 
argued that "feta piracy" is taking a serious toll on domestic 
producers.  He and Protopappas added that the United States should 
be on the same page as the EC on this issue, given our export of 
regional products such as California wines and Florida orange 
juice. 
Speckhard