US embassy cable - 02ROME287

UNCLAS ROME 000287 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR IIP/G/EUR CSIEMONH; IIP/G RCROSS-NAJAFI; IIP/T/ES 
BDURANT; EUR/PPD/RHILTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: DVC OIIP 
SUBJECT: PROGRAM EVALUATION: DVC WITH ITALIAN NATIONAL 
COUNCIL ON ECONOMICS AND LABOR (CNEL), NOVEMBER 27, 2001 
 
 
1.  DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY: A DVC ON ECONOMIC ISSUES 
ORGANIZED IN COLLABORATION BETWEEN PA ROME AND THE ITALIAN 
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON ECONOMICS AND LABOR (CNEL), 
A CONSULTING BODY TO THE PARLIAMENT AND TO THE ITALIAN 
GOVERNMENT  ON ECONOMIC AND 
LABOR ISSUES.  PA MILAN WAS "PASSIVE" ON THE PROGRAM. 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  00287  181521Z 
2. DATES:  FIRST QUARTER, FY-2002; WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 
2001. 
 
3. JUSTIFICATION/OBJECTIVE: CNEL IS ITALY'S HIGHEST-LEVEL 
ECONOMIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE 
AND IS OFFICIALLY A COMPONENT OF THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT. 
THE NEW PRESIDENT IS TRYING 
TO MODERNIZE AND INTERNATIONALIZE THE INSTITUTION AND 
APPROACHED PA WITH A PROPOSAL 
 TO CO-HOST A SERIES OF DVC PROGRAMS ON GLOBALIZATION.  THIS 
FIRST PROGRAM WAS 
ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO LOOK AT GLOBALIZATION OF MARKETS; 
HOWEVER, SINCE SEPTEMBER 11, 
WE DECIDED INSTEAD TO FOCUS ON THE STATE OF THE U.S. ECONOMY 
AND THE IMPACT THE ATTACKS 
HAVE HAD ON BOTH U.S. CONSUMERS AND PRODUCERS. 
 
4. MPP UMBRELLA THEMES: PROMOTING ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, 
SUBTHEME: GLOBAL 
ECONOMIC GROWTH;  COOPERATION ON GLOBAL ISSUES, SUBTHEME: 
TERRORISM 
 
5. AUDIENCES REACHED: ITALIAN LABOR EXPERTS, GOVERNMENT 
OFFICIALS, BUSINESSPERSONS 
AND ECONOMISTS, INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATS, JOURNALISTS. 
 
6. RESULT/IMPACT: EXCELLENT.  THE DVC WAS ENTITLED 
"ECONOMICS AFTER SEPTEMBER 11: MORE STATE, LESS MARKET?" 
THE THREE U.S. SPEAKERS, RON WEXLER, INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIST 
FROM MERRILL LYNCH, WILLIAM CANIS OF THE MANUFACTURERS 
INSTITUTE, THE NATIONAL MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, AND 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  00287  181521Z 
KATHRYN HAUSER, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, INFORMATION 
TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY COUNCIL, SPOKE ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE 
OF THE U.S. ECONOMY AND PROSPECTS FOR RECOVERY.  ITALIAN 
PANELISTS INCLUDED THE PRESIDENT OF AN INFLUENTIAL BUSINESS 
ORGANIZATION, CONFCOMMERCIO, THE PRESIDENT OF THE PARA- 
STATAL 
ENERGY COMPANY AND LEADING ITALIAN INDUSTRIALIST, CURRENTLY 
PRESIDENT OF HIS OWN TELECOMMUNICATIONS GROUP.  THE ACTING 
DCM GAVE OPENING REMARKS.  MEDIA COVERAGE 
OF THE EVENT INCLUDED ARTICLES IN MAJOR DAILIES IL SOLE 24- 
ORE AND CORRIERE DELLA SERA AS WELL AS IN SEVERAL OTHER 
NEWSPAPERS AND WIRE SERVICES.  CNEL, WHICH IS FUNDED BY THE 
GOI AND CONSIDERED THE FOURTH "BRANCH" OF THE ITALIAN 
GOVERNMENT, WAS VERY PLEASED 
WITH THE PROGRAM AND IS EAGER TO DO MORE DVC PROGRAMS WITH 
THE EMBASSY ON VARIOUS ECONOMIC AND GLOBALIZATION ISSUES. PA 
STAFF LENT EXTENSIVE SUPPORT TO ENSURE THE 
TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE DVC WENT SMOOTHLY, AN INVESTMENT 
THAT WE EXPECT TO PAY OFF OVER TIME, AS CNEL INCREASINGLY 
USES THIS MEDIUM FOR CONTACTS WITH THE UNITED STATES. 
 
7. NON USG SOURCES OF IN-COUNTRY FUNDING/IN-KIND SUPPORT: 
CNEL PAID FOR THE 
PROGRAM AND FOR RENTAL OF THE DVC EQUIPMENT, A COST OF 
APPROXIMATELY $7000. 
 
8. QUALITY OF U.S. AND AGENCY OFFICE SUPPORT: GOOD. 
SEMBLER 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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 2002ROME00287 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED