US embassy cable - 04THEHAGUE2388

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 THE HAGUE 002388 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2014 
TAGS: NL 
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/EU: PETER CHASE VISIT HIGHLIGHTS US-EU 
ISSUES 
 
Classified By: DCM Daniel Russel for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C)  Summary:  At meetings with the MFA on September 10, 
Peter Chase 
(EUR/ERA Director) heard that EU Member States see new 
informal interest groups 
forming around particular issues.  This variable geometry 
extends to EU 
representation at the UN, where the EU's formal division of 
competencies 
continues to confuse outsiders.  The Dutch believe Turkey is 
on course to get a 
"yes" to opening negotiations in December.  Coordinating the 
information flow 
on counter-terrorism discussions at the Senior Level Group 
remains a 
challenge.  The Dutch are committed to the Stakeholders 
Dialogue process and 
Innovation Conference but cannot speak for future EU 
presidencies.  We 
reiterated our request that the Dutch encourage Member States 
to conclude the 
bilateral protocols for the US-EU Mutual Legal Assistance 
Extradition 
Agreements by the end of the year.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (U)  Jaap Werner, Director of  Political Affairs at the 
Dutch MFA, Marion 
Kappeijne, Director of the North American Affairs, and Jos 
Schellaars, 
Kappeyne's deputy, met visiting EUR/ERA Director Peter Chase, 
DCM, and Poloff 
over lunch on September 10 to review a range of issues, 
including EU dynamics, 
the EU at the UN, Turkey (reported septel), the workings of 
the Senior Level 
Group, and the Stakeholders Dialogue.  Chase separately met 
with Marjorie Bonn 
of the Department of Justice at a reception hosted by the 
DCM. 
 
EU Dynamics at 25 
----------------- 
 
3.  (C)  Werner said the EU at 25 is finding that a more 
assertive Solana, 
anticipating his EU Foreign Minister role, is already 
starting to provide more 
centralized guidance in the common security and foreign 
policy arena.  Solana 
sees his office as taking the lead on the Middle East, 
Balkans, and ESDP 
dossiers, and he apparently also wants to stretch out into 
Africa, as evidenced 
by the recent mission he sent to Sudan and his growing 
general interest in 
African issues. 
 
4.  (C)  Werner noted the effect of the new EU 10 in CSFP and 
how new ad hoc 
groups are forming around certain dossiers, even if they do 
not make up 
majorities or blocking minorities.  The EU 10 have little or 
no relationship or 
interest in Africa, which they leave to the "natural 
coalition" of Belgium, 
France, the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.  On the other 
hand, the EU 10 
often coalesce around issues related to Russia, Belarus, 
Ukraine, Moldova and 
the Caucasus.  For example, Latvia put Belarus on the GAERC 
agenda, he noted. 
On human rights, the Nordics remain like-minded, while the 
southern EU members 
tend to place human rights a little lower on the agenda.  The 
Benelux per se 
will not be strong, Werner predicted.  Finally, the "big 
three " (UK, France, 
Germany) still work closely together, sometimes to the point 
of pushing 
"pragmatic" Netherlands into the camp of Italy and Spain, 
Werner concluded. 
 
Turkey and the SLG 
------------------ 
 
5.  (C)  On Turkey, Werner told Chase and the DCM that the 
"trend is positive 
toward a yes."  The EU will still temporize, he added, noting 
that the start of 
negotiations will wait until the EU and Turkey work out in 
what kind of format 
they will address the raft of issues before them, a process 
that could take 
months in itself. 
 
6.  (C)  Regarding the Senior Level Group (SLG), Marion 
Kappeyne, director of 
the MFA office of  North American Affairs, suggested to the 
DCM and Chase that 
we could best use the SLG for keeping in touch on leading 
issues, such as 
BMENA.  Werner suggested that action on BMENA would have to 
await results from 
the US-EU troika meeting in New York.  Generally, the DCM 
suggested that the 
SLG should formulate follow-through plans for the most recent 
Summit 
Declaration.  Chase suggested that smaller meetings of 
principals, such as the 
upcoming lunch between Undersecretary Larson and his Dutch 
counterpart Frank 
Majoor, should have limited, focused agendas, in this case, 
the Middle East, 
counter terrorism, and economic issues. 
 
Counter-Terrorism 
----------------- 
 
7.  (C)  On counter-terrorism, the DCM recalled USG interest 
in 
cross-pillarization and noted that the SLG has spun off a 
sub-group on Border 
Security (the "Political Dialogue on Border and 
Transportation Security"). 
Both Chase and the DCM pointed to the need to look at the 
architecture for 
these discussions, particularly at the sub-cabinet level. 
The DCM noted that 
we need to "make sense of the feeder process for information 
to the SLG, 
Summits, and other meetings on CT."  Werner said that the EU, 
in COTER, has put 
together a list of priority countries to whom they have 
offered technical 
assistance in combating terrorism.  A team already visited 
Morocco and Saudi 
Arabia, and Algeria is next, he said. 
 
EU in the UN 
------------ 
 
8. (C)  The DCM asked how the US and EU can be effective and 
not appear at 
cross purposes in the UN.  Specifically, we have trouble with 
UNGA resolutions 
on the Middle East whose sole purpose seems to be to generate 
another USG 
veto.  This creates an atmosphere where it is impossible to 
handle some UN 
issues.  He reminded the Dutch that every EU vote "has a long 
tail" in the 
UNGA.  Werner recalled the recent UNGA resolution on the 
Israeli security fence 
and said that part of the deal was supposed to be 
consolidation of UNGA Middle 
East resolutions. 
 
9. (C)  With regard to dealing the EU at the UN, Werner 
pointed out that 
shifting competencies on particular subjects made it seem 
necessary for EU 
outsiders to deal with both the Commission and the Presidency 
separately.  Mr. 
Chase countered that the issue of who speaks, Commission or 
Presidency, is 
frequently mixed up in New York, even in the EU, and needs 
clarity for the EU's 
partners such as the USG.  Werner dryly observed that in a 
matter of years, he 
expects the issue will be resolved as the EU works toward a 
unified external 
representation. 
 
Stakeholder Dialogue 
-------------------- 
 
10. (C)  Chase recalled to Kappeyne that the USG sees the 
Stakeholder Dialogue 
and the Innovation Conference as positive developments 
enhancing the U.S.-EU 
relationship.  How to maintain this momentum after the Dutch 
Presidency, 
however, remains a concern.  Kappeyne assured Chase and the 
DCM that "the 
Netherlands is on board for the program," but could not make 
promises for 
future EU presidencies. 
 
MLATS 
----- 
 
11.  (C)  Chase spoke to Ministry of Justice's Marjorie Bonn 
at a reception 
hosted by the DCM the evening of September 10.  Chase 
stressed Washington's 
desire for the Dutch to take an active role as EU president 
to urge Member 
States to conclude the bilateral protocols for the US-EU 
Mutual Legal 
Assistance Extradition Agreements by the end of the year. 
(Note:  Amb. Sobel 
had made the same point to Justice Minister Donner in a 
separate September 10 
meeting.  Donner and DG Visser said they plan to include a 
call for the Member 
States to work quickly to conclude the bilateral protocols in 
the Minister's 
opening remarks at the Informal JHA Council. End Note.) 
 
12.  (U)  Mr. Chase cleared this message. 
SOBEL