US embassy cable - 03ROME454

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 000454 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/ERA AND EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2014 
TAGS: PREL, EU, IT, EUN 
SUBJECT: EU CONVENTION VICE PRESIDENT AMATO ON 
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION PROGRESS 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: A/DCM SCOTT KILNER.  REASON:1.5 (B)(D) 
 
1.  (C)  SUMMARY:  ON FEBRUARY 3, EU CONVENTION VICE 
PRESIDENT GIULIANO AMATO TOLD AMBASSADOR SEMBLER THAT WHILE 
HE WAS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE CHANCES OF APPROVING A 
CONSTITUTION BEFORE FORMAL ENLARGEMENT, MUCH WORK REMAINED. 
IT WAS STILL POSSIBLE THAT THE CONVENTION COULD HAVE A 
PRODUCT READY TO PRESENT TO THE JUNE COUNCIL IN THESSALONIKI, 
AND THAT THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE (IGC) COULD 
THEREFORE BEGIN IN TIME TO HAVE A DOCUMENT READY FOR 
SIGNATURE DURING THE ITALIAN EU PRESIDENCY.  AMATO'S GOAL IS 
TO SIMPLIFY THE INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE EU.  FOREIGN 
ENTITIES, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, SHOULD BE ABLE TO 
INTERACT WITH A SINGLE EU FOREIGN MINISTER.  WITH RESPECT TO 
AN EU "PRESIDENT," AMATO SUGGESTED A "COHABITATION OF COUNCIL 
AND COMMISSION PRESIDENTS UNTIL 2015," ALLOWING TIME FOR THE 
EU TO PHASE IN A SINGLE "EXECUTIVE."  HE SAID THAT THE 
CONVENTION IS CONSIDERING A "DUAL MAJORITY" APPROACH (BOTH 
STATES AND POPULATION) FOR APPROVING LEGISLATION.  FUNDING 
REQUIREMENTS POST-ENLARGEMENT MAY HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED 
THROUGH SOME TYPE OF EU "OWN RESOURCES" TAX TO BE COLLECTED 
DIRECTLY BY BRUSSELS.  END SUMMARY 
 
2.  (C)  AMBASSADOR SEMBLER, WHO WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A/DCM AND 
POLOFF (NOTETAKER), CONGRATULATED AMATO FOR THE CONVENTION'S 
PROGRESS THUS FAR.  HE ASKED AMATO WHETHER IT WAS ON COURSE 
TO PRODUCE A DOCUMENT READY FOR SIGNATURE BY HEADS OF STATE 
BY THE END OF 2003, ONE OF PM BERLUSCONI'S TOP PRIORITIES FOR 
ITALY'S JULY-DECEMBER EU PRESIDENCY.  AMATO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT 
THE CONVENTION HAS REACHED CONSENSUS ON SOME TECHNICAL 
CHANGES, SUCH AS GIVING THE EU A SINGLE LEGAL PERSONALITY. 
HOWEVER, AT THE NEXT PLENARY AT THE END OF FEBRUARY, THE 
DELEGATES WILL BEGIN TO WRESTLE WITH SOME OF THE MORE 
CONTENTIOUS ISSUES, INCLUDING OPTIONS TO ABOLISH THE 
SIX-MONTH ROTATING PRESIDENCY.  THERE WAS HARD WORK AHEAD TO 
RECONCILE THOSE MEMBER STATES WHO WANT TO KEEP THE EU AS A 
"JOINT VENTURE," AND THOSE WHO WANT A "MERGER." 
 
3.  (C)  THE SIZE OF THE CONVENTION ITSELF IS ALSO A FACTOR, 
AMATO CONTINUED. IN THEORY, THE CONVENTION WAS TO BE 
COMPRISED OF ABOUT 100 DELEGATES PLUS ALTERNATES.  IN FACT, 
ALTERNATE AND DELEGATE PARTICIPATION IS INDISTINGUISHABLE. 
WHILE THE TEN ASPIRANT COUNTRIES HAVE OBSERVER STATUS, AND 
THEREFORE DO NOT VOTE, THEY PARTICIPATE IN DEBATE IN THE SAME 
MANNER AS FULL MEMBERS.  THE RESULT IS A CONVENTION OF OVER 
200 MEMBERS, WHICH NATURALLY SLOWS DOWN PROCEDURES. 
 
4.  (C)  AMATO SAID IT WAS STILL POSSIBLE THAT THE CONVENTION 
COULD HAVE A PRODUCT READY TO PRESENT TO THE JUNE COUNCIL IN 
THESSALONIKI, AND THAT THE IGC COULD THEREFORE BEGIN IN TIME 
TO HAVE A DOCUMENT READY FOR SIGNATURE DURING THE ITALIAN 
PRESIDENCY. BUT WITH AN UNDERTAKING THIS COMPLEX, THERE WERE 
MANY CONTINGENCIES THAT COULD AFFECT TIMING.  BESIDES, 
CONTINUED AMATO IN AN ASIDE, CONVENTION PRESIDENT GISCARD 
D'ESTAING "LIKES HIS JOB."  THERE WERE SOME MEMBERS, 
ESPECIALLY "NORTHERN COUNTRIES" WHO WANTED A COOLING OFF 
PERIOD BETWEEN THE CONVENTION AND IGC. 
 
5.  (C)  FOR AMATO, ANY DELAY THAT WOULD PUSH THE IGC INTO 
THE IRISH PRESIDENCY WAS TROUBLING.  "FOR THE SAKE OF EUROPE, 
THE IGC MUST BE COMPLETED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER THE DRAFT 
CONSTITUTION IS PRESENTED TO MEMBER STATES" WITH MINIMAL 
DEBATE BETWEEN.  OTHERWISE, IT WILL BE "AN OVERCOOKED MEAL" 
AND THE MOMENTUM COMING OUT OF THE CONVENTION WILL BE LOST. 
THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS IN 2004, SUCH AS EU PARLIAMENTARY 
ELECTIONS AND A NEW COMMISSION, WHICH WILL DISTRACT ATTENTION 
FROM THESE IPORTANT REFORM ISSUES. 
 
6.  (C)  AMATO HOPED THA ASPIRANT MEMBERS WOULD PARTICIPATE 
AS MUCH AS PSSIBLE, "WITH SOME AMBIGUITY" AS NON-VOTING 
MEMBRS IN THE IGC.  HE DREW COMPARISONS TO 1985/86, WHE 
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL PARTICIPATED "ALMOST AS FULLMEMBERS" IN 
THE DEBATE ON THE SINGLE ACT, THEN SIGNED THE TREATY AFTER 
THEIR FORMAL ENTRY INTO THE EU.  ACCORDING TO AMATO, THE 
POLES LOOK FAVORABLY ON SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT. 
 
7.  (C)  AMATO'S GOAL IS TO SIMPLIFY THE INSTITUTIONAL 
STRUCTURE OF THE EU, DEVELOPED INCREMENTALLY OVER 50 YEARS, 
TREATY UPON TREATY, EACH WITH ITS OWN "JUNGLE" OF 
BUREAUCRATIC INSTRUMENTS.   FOREIGN ENTITIES, INCLUDING THE 
UNITED STATES, SHOULD BE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH A SINGLE 
PERSONALITY AUTHORIZED TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE EU.  AMATO 
ENVISAGES AN EVENTUAL MERGER OF THE CFSP HIGH REPRESENTATIVE 
(SOLANA) AND COMMISSION EXTERNAL RELATIONS COMMISSIONER 
(PATTEN) POSITIONS, INTO A SINGLE "DOUBLE-HATTED" EU FOREIGN 
MINISTER.  THE PRESIDENCY WILL BE A TRICKIER ISSUE.  AMATO 
 

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