VZCZCXRO2492
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBS #0450/01 0861543
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 271543Z MAR 09
FM USEU BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 000450 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR KRISTINA KVIEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREL ECON EFIN ETRD EUN IO EAGR
SUBJECT: EUROPEAN COUNTERPARTS SEEK MORE ROBUST DEVELOPMENT 
DIALOGUE 
 
BRUSSELS 00000450  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
------------------- 
SUMMARY AND COMMENT 
------------------- 
 
¶1.  European counterparts within the Commission, Czech 
Presidency, and EU Member States have indicated strong 
interest in elevating development to a more important place 
on the trans-Atlantic agenda.  In their view, the new U.S. 
Administration is likely to be receptive to these efforts, 
given a stated interest in renewing relations with long-time 
allies as well as a new emphasis on making full use of all 
the instruments of smart power, including development. 
During the coming weeks, this effort will likely gathr 
momentum, resulting in further requests formeetings, ideas 
and deliverables.  As this process unfolds, it is important 
that the inter-agency process in Washington move toward a 
consensus position, one that not only informs our dialogue 
with Brussels on development issues but, ideally, will 
pro-actively help to shape it. END SUMMARY AND COMMENT 
 
¶2.  Last month, Czech contacts discussed with USEU staff 
possible approaches to advancing this agenda.  Earlier this 
week, the head of the Czech development department made a 
return visit to USEU, again emphasizing the importance that 
the Czech presidency attaches to furthering a much more 
robust EU-U.S. dialogue on development.  At the start of the 
Czech presidency in January, Finland presented its ideas for 
an expanded EU-U.S. development dialogue to other member 
states.  When the Czech presidency concludes at the end of 
June, there is no doubt that the Czechs want to report that 
considerable progress has been made. 
 
¶3.  Recently, a contact working within Commissioner for 
Development Louis Michel's front office highlighted several 
measures taken within the Commission over the past few weeks 
to move forward with a much broader development agenda. 
Reportedly, Commission President Barroso chaired a meeting in 
Brussels on March 24 involving all seven commissioners 
responsible for external relations, resulting in consensus on 
ways to engage with the United States more directly on 
development.  Those in attendance included Commissioner 
Michel (covering Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific); 
Commissioner Rehn (covering countries aspiring to EU 
membership, primarily the Balkans); Commissioner 
Ferrero-Waldner (covering the rest of the world); and 
Commissioner Almunia (covering economic affairs). 
 
¶4.  As a result of that meeting, agreement was reached to 
pursue enhanced EU-U.S. development cooperation in four main 
areas: 
 
-- Consensus building and coordination prior to major 
international development conferences and events (UN, OECD, 
World Bank, IMF, etc.).  According to EC contacts, in past 
years the EU-U.S. relationship has suffered because of lack 
of coordination prior to significant international meetings. 
In their view, the point is not necessarily to always reach 
agreement on a common position.  Rather, it is to make sure 
that there is advanced appreciation and understanding of the 
views of each party beforehand. 
 
-- Political/Policy Dialogue on geographical (notably 
regional) strategies and thematic issues, inter alia on peace 
and security, governance, aid effectiveness, financing for 
development (including innovative sources and definitions of 
ODA), policy coherence and Africa, taking into account the 
EU-Africa partnerships.  From an EU perspective, discussions 
on country-specific issues already take place, especially in 
"lightning rod" places like Georgia, Palestine, Afghanistan 
and Pakistan where political issues also loom large.  By 
taking a regional approach focused on sub-Saharan Africa, the 
idea is to ensure a heightened focus on more specific 
development concerns. 
 
--  Specific cooperation in the field, notably in sub-Saharan 
countries/regions, in line with aid effectiveness principles 
and focusing on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), 
peace and security, governance, infrastructure, regional 
integration/trade and public/private partnerships.  In this 
case, there is a strong desire to take an explicitly 
pragmatic approach.  The intent is to avoid theoretical or 
abstract discussions and instead focus on goals that are both 
practical and attainable.  According to one contact, 
excellent coordination already takes place on theoretical 
issues at the OECD in Paris.  However, what is needed is a 
companion effort, this one focused on operational concerns. 
 
 
BRUSSELS 00000450  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
-- Increased awareness/knowledge about our respective 
development policies, in order to bring our development 
communities (policy makers, civil servants, think tanks, 
research institutes, etc.) closer and stimulate exchanges 
between them.  From an EC perspective, significant 
misconceptions have developed in recent years on our 
respective views and approaches to development.  The idea is 
to build personal relationships among individuals involved in 
development on both sides of the Atlantic, with a view toward 
providing each side with a more realistic perspective on what 
approaches are employed by various donors and why. 
 
¶5.  According to one Commission source, President Barroso 
will use the upcoming EU-U.S. summit in Prague on April 5 to 
comment on a long list of themes, including the global 
economic situation, Pakistan/Afghanistan, Iran, the Middle 
East, climate change and energy security.  Development will 
not formally be part of the agenda.  However, he is expected 
to use the opportunity to highlight development as an area in 
which Europe seeks further cooperation and dialogue.  In the 
view of some EC officials, a development-related deliverable 
also needs to be put forward at the EU-U.S. summit scheduled 
to take place in late June. 
 
¶6.  The May General Affairs and External Relations Council 
(GAERC) will include detailed discussions on development. 
All 27 EU development ministers are likely to attend along 
with their foreign ministers.  Very informally, USEU staff 
has been asked if a new USAID Administrator or some other 
senior U.S. official would be available to present a U.S. 
perspective to the assembled European development ministers 
at a dinner scheduled for the evening of May 18.  According 
to the Czechs, the May GAERC provides perhaps the last 
opportunity to ensure that a deliverable related to 
development is included in the EU-U.S. summit in June. 
 
¶7.  In addition, the EC has taken a number of other concrete 
steps aimed at furthering an expanded trans-Atlantic dialogue 
on development: 
 
-- The EC is nearing completion of a survey of some 100 EU 
delegations on how they interact with the United States on 
development issues in the field.  Nearly four-fifths of the 
surveys have already been returned.  While comments are 
mixed, some positive examples from the field are already 
emerging.  Results of the survey, when collated, will be 
shared with the United States. 
 
-- In July or November, the European Institute for Security 
Studies in Paris will sponsor the next of its regular series 
of EU-U.S. forums in Washington, DC.  The EC anticipates that 
for the first time there will be a separate, stand-alone 
session focused exclusively on development. 
 
-- In April or May, the EC will issue a call for proposals 
from think tanks on both sides of the Atlantic.  The intent 
is to solicit proposals aimed at strengthening the 
trans-Atlantic dialogue on development. 
 
-- There is also ongoing interest in engaging with civil 
society in Europe and the United States on 
development-related themes.  While further discussions are 
needed with the Council as well as individual member states, 
the EC expects that this effort will lead to a new outreach 
initiative involving both the American and European public. 
 
¶8.  EC representation at the World Bank meetings in 
Washington on April 25-26 will probably include a development 
delegation co-led by Czech State Secretary for Foreign 
Affairs Jan Kohout and European Commission Director General 
for Development Manservisi.  The delegation will likely 
arrive in Washington on April 23, with a view toward 
scheduling meetings with senior U.S. counterparts aimed at 
advancing the EU-U.S. development dialogue. 
 
¶9. Finally, Commissioner Louis Michel remains strongly 
interested in meeting with Secretary Clinton during his visit 
to Washington on April 25-26 to participate in the World Bank 
meetings.  As his February 23 letter to the Secretary makes 
clear, a central motivation for this meeting is to engage on 
development issues.  From an EC perspective, the Secretary 
has signaled to international audiences the importance that 
she attaches to development and there is hope that this will 
lead to a sustained dialogue between the EU and the United 
States on development issues. 
 
------------------ 
 
BRUSSELS 00000450  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
CONCLUDING COMMENT 
------------------ 
 
¶10. Amidst the interest and enthusiasm among European 
counterparts for a renewed development dialogue, there are 
those who remember a similar effort that was briefly launched 
in the late 1990s and then abandoned.  There are also varying 
degrees of enthusiasm among individual member states, with 
some larger bilateral donors perhaps concerned that their own 
direct interactions with the U.S. development community would 
be reduced if dialogue with the EC assumes a more central 
role.  That said, counterparts have also expressed a view 
that the international dynamic may be different this time 
around.  On the European side, there is obvious enthusiasm 
for working to ensure that development plays a more central 
role in the ongoing trans-Atlantic agenda.  This interest and 
enthusiasm will almost certainly result in more contacts, 
questions and ideas across the full spectrum of U.S. agencies 
and departments involved in development.  On our side, it 
will be especially useful if we can encourage the Europeans 
to think in terms of a whole of government approach, one that 
emphasizes development as a broad and cross-cutting issue. 
As the European initiative gathers momentum, Washington needs 
to considering launching a parallel effort, one that not only 
sets forth a USG policy response but also highlights ways in 
which we can more pro-actively engage with European 
counterparts to help shape the EU-U.S. development dialogue 
that is now unfolding. 
 
MURRAY 
.