US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE1196

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 001196 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR OES/SAT/RALPH BRABANTI AND EUR/ERA MARJA 
VERLOOP 
 
USDOC PASS OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCIALIZATION 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: TSPA, TSPL, ECON, NL 
SUBJECT: GPS-GALILEO DEMARCHE: DUTCH DOUBT SUMMIT 
SIGNING FEASIBLE 
 
REF: STATE 102745 
 
1. SUMMARY. THE DUTCH SEE NO OBSTACLES OF A TECHNICAL 
NATURE THAT WOULD BLOCK A U.S.-EU GPS/GALILEO 
COOPERATION AGREEMENT.  HOWEVER, THEY BELIEVE THAT THE 
PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CONFIRMING AN AGREEMENT 
MAKE IT UNLIKELY THAT THE U.S./EU'S JUNE SUMMIT WILL 
SEE THE SIGNING OF THE ACTUAL AGREEMENT. MORE LIKELY, 
THEY BELIEVE, IS A SIMPLE DECLARATION THAT THE TWO 
SIDES HAVE REACHED AGREEMENT, WITH THE ACTUAL SIGNING 
TO FOLLOW AT A LATER DATE, PROBABLY DURING THE DUTCH 
PRESIDENCY. 
 
END SUMMARY. 
 
2. PER (REF.A) REQUEST, ECONOFF PASSED GPS-GALILEO 
TALKING POINTS TO THE GONL'S INTERAGENCY GALILEO 
STEERING GROUP (INVOLVED IN POLICY AND OPERATIONAL 
ASPECTS OF GALILEO) IN THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT (MOT) 
ON MAY 10.  IN A DIRECT TELECON REACTION WIM PLOEG, 
CHAIRMAN OF THE GALILEO INTERAGENCY GROUP, SAID THAT 
WHILE THERE APPEARS TO BE A DELAY IN PROCEDURES, THERE 
ARE NO OBSTACLES OF A TECHNICAL NATURE THAT STAND IN 
THE WAY OF SIGNING THE GPS/GALILEO COOPERATION 
AGREEMENT.  PLOEG EXPLAINED THAT THE TIME NEEDED FOR 
APPROVAL OF THE TEXT OF THE GPS/GALILEO AGREEMENT BY 
THE GALILEO SECURITY BOARD, THE EU TRANSPORT COUNCIL, 
AND MEMBER STATE PARLIAMENTS, MAKES THE TIMETABLE FOR 
SIGNING OF THE AGREEMENT VERY TIGHT INDEED.  REFERRING 
TO A COMMUNICATION FROM GORAN AXELSON, THE SWEDISH 
CHAIR OF THE GPS/GALILEO TECHNICAL EXPERTS WORKING 
GROUP, PLOEG SAID THAT HE HAD NO INDICATIONS OF SERIOUS 
TECHNICAL PROBLEMS, INCLUDING POSSIBLE RE-OPENING OF 
THE M-CODE/PRS SIGNAL PROTECTION DISCUSSION THAT WOULD 
PUT SIGING OF THE GPS/GALILEO COOPERATION AGREEMENT IN 
JEOPARDY. 
 
3. PLOEG REITERATED THIS VIEW FOLLOWING A MAY 11 
GALILEO TECHNICAL EXPERTS WORKING GROUP MEETING. PLOEG 
DECLINED TO GO INTO TECHNICAL ISSUES BUT EXPANDED ON 
HIS COMMENTS REGARDING PROCEDURAL PROBLEMS. ACCORDING 
TO PLOEG, THE RESULTS OF A LAST ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS 
SCHEDULED FOR MAY 25 WOULD BE PRESENTED FOR APPROVAL TO 
THE GALILEO SECURITY BOARD IN EARLY JUNE AND THEN GO TO 
THE TRANSPORT COUNCIL. THIS WILL MAKE THE FINAL TEXT OF 
THE AGREEMENT TOO LATE FOR TIMELY APPROVAL BY MEMBER 
STATE PARLIAMENTS. THE JUNE 25/26 U.S./EU SUMMIT IS 
THEREFORE NOT LIKELY SEE THE SIGNING OF THE ACTUAL 
GPS/GALILEO COOPERATION AGREEMENT, PLOEG FEARS, BUT 
RATHER A DECLARATION OF AGREEMENT.  SIGNING OF THE 
ACTUAL AGREEMENT WILL FOLLOW LATER (PERHAPS DURING THE 
DUTCH PRESIDENCY).  SOBEL