US embassy cable - 04BRUSSELS4944

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 004944 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2014 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, MASS, MARR, IR, CH, BO, EUN, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT: COMMISSION AND COUNCIL RESPONSES ON NOV. 22 GAERC 
DEMARCHE 
 
REF: A. STATE 244333 
     B. USEU BRUSSELS 4936 
 
Classified By: Rick Holtzapple, PolOff, Reasons 1.4 B/D 
 
1. (U) PolOffs have delivered Ref A points to contacts in the 
Council Secretariat and the personal staff of new External 
Relations Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner (who will be attending 
her first GAERC as a Commissioner on Monday). 
 
MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS 
------------------------- 
 
2. (C) Margarita Comamala of the Council Secretariat said the 
EU looked forward to continued engagement with the US on 
this, but there is a strengthening view of Member States in 
the Council that the US and EU should be talking more about 
the details of what a final status solution could look like. 
She noted that the Dutch Presidency had raised this point in 
the November 16 Middle East (COMEP) troika meeting, but had 
received a cool reaction from NEA DAS Liz Dibble (REF B). 
Dutch contacts have told us Conclusions are nearly agreed, 
after lengthy debates over the precise tone, and should call 
for immediate action in three main areas: support for 
presidential elections preparations; efforts to improve the 
security situation; and financial support for the Palestinian 
Administration.  At the Commission, Ferrero-Waldner's staff 
only commented that they were not familiar with the IFC 
Facility. 
 
CHINA 
----- 
 
3.  (C) The Commission commented that the China agenda item 
(including preparations for the December 8 EU-China Summit) 
had been moved to the GAERC's restricted lunch discussion. 
Ferrero-Waldner's staff understood this was done because 
there is little chance the EU could reach agreement on 
November 26 to take a decision on the arms embargo issue. 
Dutch Presidency diplomats tell us they expect this 
discussion to "take the temperature" rather than achieve 
formal agreement. 
 
BELARUS 
------- 
 
4. (C) Ferrero-Waldner's staffer said the Commissioner would 
support existing EU measures such as travel restrictions 
against Belarus, but that Ferrero-Waldner would make a strong 
push that any measures considered should be carefully 
targeted not to harm the general public, and in fact could be 
accompanied by measures to "send a message to the people that 
they are not forgotten."  The Council's Belarus desk told us 
the GAERC Conclusions would include a reference to visa bans 
on two groups of people: human rights violators, and 
individuals engaged in electoral abuse.  But the EU might not 
have agreement on specific names to add to the list. 
 
ESDP 
---- 
 
5. (SBU) Lengthy Conclusions have been agreed (as is 
traditionally the case for the "jumbo" GAERC each Presidency 
that includes DefMins).  From the Commission's point of view, 
the most notable aspect is that Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner 
plans to exercise a privilege they understand Patten never 
did, and attend the DefMins separate meeting for at least a 
short period of time to emphasize to DefMins that the 
Commission is also interested in ESDP developments.  At the 
EU's Military Capabilities Commitment Conference on 22 
November on the margins of the GAERC, member states are 
expected to announce their intended commitments to 
Battlegroups.  USEU anticipates enough national offers for 
the EU to form at least nine national and multinational 
battlegroups. 
 
IRAN AND OTHER ISSUES 
--------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) Council sources have confirmed that Iran will be on 
the agenda, and the GAERC will likely issue Conclusions 
welcoming the EU-3 agreement, and calling on Iran to fulfill 
its obligations.  They did not expect that either Cyprus or 
Turkey would see much discussion on November 26, and Balkans 
have been  dropped from the agenda (although the side meeting 
of the EU-Western Balkans Forum will still take place). 
MCKINLEY