Cablegate: Czechs Object to the Lacey Act Amendments

VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPG #0768 3471603
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 121603Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY PRAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0906
INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS PRAGUE 000768

SIPDIS

STATE FOR OES/ENRC MARK JOHNSEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV EAID EAGR ETRD EINV BTIO EZ
SUBJECT: CZECHS OBJECT TO THE LACEY ACT AMENDMENTS

REF: STATE 126654

1. On December 2, Post delivered reftel demarche to the
Ministry of Industry and Trade's Head of Department of EU
Relations to Non-EU Countries Petr Kulovany. Kulovany noted
that he understood the purpose of the Lacey Act amendments
but said that the Czech Republic considers them as a
potentially significant barrier for European exports to the
U.S. since the provision of the required information would
unduly burden small and medium enterprises. Kulovany also
doubted that these amendments be compatible with WTO rules.
In general, the Czechs support the EU Commission's efforts to
find a way to mitigate the negative impact of these
amendments on EU companies. In particular, the Czechs
request that the following items be excluded from the Act as
common cultivars and common food crops: 0602 90 other live
plants, young plants and mushroom spawn, 1207 91 poppy seeds,
1210 10 hop cones (either ground, powdered or in the form of
pellets), 1211 90 plants, parts of plants, seeds of a kind
used primarily in perfumery, pharmacy or for similar
purposes, 1302 19 vegetable saps and extracts (modified and
unmodified), 1302 20 pectic substances, pectinates and
pectates.
Graber

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