US embassy cable - 04BRUSSELS1960

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001960 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2014 
TAGS: PREL, TU, CY, EUN, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT: EU: CYPRUS ACCESSION AND COMMISSION RESPONSE 
 
Classified By: USEU POLOFF ANDREW ERICKSON, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
 ------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
1.  (C) Enlargement Commissioner Verheugen's Cabinet member 
for Cyprus, Kristin Schreiber, told us May 5 that the 
Commission is readying proposals for improving northern 
Cypriot commercial access to the EU.  The Commission 
proposals will likely be presented to the Council in late 
June, for adoption by qualified majority voting rules.  Among 
the measures envisaged is the possibility for direct exports 
from northern Cyprus ports of goods from northern Cyprus. 
The Commission is also watching carefully the circulation of 
people across the Green Line, and understands that EU 
citizens are being allowed to cross.  Schreiber expressed 
reservations about the EU's influence on direct air travel to 
the north, noting that this would have to be negotiated 
bilaterally with individual governments, through the 
government of Cyprus.  Nonetheless, the Commission was 
willing to consider being helpful if it could.  Working level 
Turkish views in Brussels on EU efforts to date vary widely. 
End summary. 
 
------------------ 
Commission at work 
on improving ties 
------------------ 
 
2.  (C) Kristin Schreiber, Enlargement Commissioner 
Verheugen's member of cabinet responsible for Cyprus, updated 
us May 5 on where things stand in the Commission's post April 
24 efforts to address the Turkish Cypriots' clearly expressed 
will to join the European Union as part of a united Cyprus. 
Schreiber prefaced her comments by underscoring that all EU 
moves are constrained: the EU could not take steps seen as 
recognizing the "TRNC" in any way.  The EU was focused on 
economic relief for the Turkish Cypriots, not political 
relief for the "TRNC". 
 
3.  (C) Within this context, there was quite a bit that the 
EU could do, said Schreiber.  Over the next month, the 
Commission was working on developing trade implementing 
measures for the areas of Cyprus not currently covered by the 
acquis communitaire.  These measures would be presented to 
the Council in June (probably "late June" said Schreiber) for 
final approval. 
 
----------------- 
Specific Measures 
----------------- 
 
4.  (C) Specific measures under consideration are focused on 
facilitating northern Cyprus' trade with EU member countries. 
 The first step in that process would be the development of 
an identification and phyto-sanitary regime that would 
address EU concerns without recognizing "TRNC" sovereignty 
while minimizing Greek Cypriot interference with trade.  The 
Commission was exploring the direct use of northern Cypriot 
ports for export to EU markets; this looked feasible.  The 
Commission was "confident" that it would be able to set up an 
office in northern Cyprus to disburse the 259 million euro 
assistance package already agreed.  This office would clearly 
be an economic assistance office and nothing more.  Schreiber 
expressed optimism that the Commission would be able to open 
such an office, on a non-political basis, without further 
clearance from the Council.  On the free movement of persons 
across the Green Line, Schreiber said that she understood 
that the Greek Cypriots were posing no problems for EU 
nationals who crossed the Green Line.  This was a welcome 
development, she indicated. 
 
-------------- 
Air Travel Not 
in EU purview 
-------------- 
 
5.  (C) On the possibility of direct air travel from EU 
member states to northern Cyprus, Schreiber noted that this 
issue was not currently in the Commission's purview.  She 
said her understanding is that landing rights are negotiated 
on a bilateral basis.  One issue the Commission would watch 
closely was Cyprus' treatment of EU nationals seeking to 
overnight in northern Cyprus after crossing the Green Line. 
Another was whether Cyprus would allow EU citizens to enter 
Cyprus from northern Cyprus if they had not initially 
transited the Green Line to enter the north. 
 
---------------- 
Turkish Mission: 
"a good result" 
---------------- 
 
6.  (C) In separate discussions with two Turkish mission 
officials, we heard two interpretations of EU actions since 
the April 24 referenda.  One colleague, a Turkish pol-mil 
officer, noted that the consensus in the mission was that the 
failure of the referendum in the north was a "great result" 
for Turkish EU aspirations.  "Our people showed that they 
were willing to do everything they needed to do" said this 
diplomat.  "This puts the EU in a position where it 
absolutely needs to do the right thing in December." 
 
7.  (C) Another Turkish diplomat (who while serving as a 
Turkish diplomat nonetheless told us that she is from Cyprus) 
expressed considerable frustration with EU steps so far. 
According to her analysis, the people of northern Cyprus made 
a real gesture of reconciliation with their overwhelming 
"yes" vote to the Annan Plan; it was up to the EU to develop 
concrete measures to address the disappointment felt in the 
north as a result of the failure of the Annan Plan in the 
south.  This interlocutor made it clear that she felt that up 
to now, the Commission's gestures and statements of intent 
have been inadequate.  She was unable to tell us, however, 
what additional steps the EU could take given the reality of 
Cypriot EU membership since May 1. 
 
FOSTER