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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 003897 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/ERA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL EAID IZ BM SU SR IR EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EU FMS SEND LOTS OF SIGNALS, BUT MAKE FEW 
DECISIONS, AT SEPT. 13 GAERC 
 
REF: A. USEU BRUSSELS 3840 
     ¶B. USEU BRUSSELS 3822 
 
(U) This cable contains information that is SENSITIVE BUT 
UNCLASSIFIED and should be protected accordingly.  Not for 
 
SIPDIS 
Internet distribution. 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) The September 13 General Affairs and External 
Relations Council (GAERC) meeting of EU Foreign Ministers 
refined EU positions spelled out over previous months and 
recently discussed at the Sept. 3 Gymnich (ref B).  On Sudan, 
the EU noted some progress, but insisted the GoS has not 
complied sufficiently with its obligations to the UNSC.  The 
EU continues to hold out the possibility of applying 
sanctions, but has taken no decision yet.  It also supports a 
UN inquiry into whether genocide has occurred.  On Iraq, the 
EU reaffirmed a series of steps to politically engage with 
the Interim Iraqi Government (IIG) and agreed to continue 
examining what kinds of additional assistance it can provide, 
including by Member States, to the UN Protection Force.  On 
Iran, the EU's attention remains focused on Vienna, not New 
York.   The GAERC reaffirmed the EU's intention to impose 
further measures against Burma, if there is no improvement 
there prior to the Asia-EU Meeting (ASEM) in Hanoi on October 
¶8.  And the EU expressed "well-grounded doubts" about the 
planned Belarusian referendum and stressed that a bad 
referendum would have negative consequences on Belarus' 
relations with the EU.  The Italians also appear to have 
renewed their effort to loosen the EU arms embargo on Libya. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
SUDAN/DARFUR 
------------ 
 
¶2. (U) Ministers agreed on conclusions formalizing the 
outcome of discussions at Gymnich.  Dutch FM Bot told the 
press "it is clear GoS has not complied sufficiently" with 
the UNSC's conditions, although the GAERC Conclusions note 
some areas of improvement.  But they also conclude that 
"there is no indication the GoS has taken real and verifiable 
steps to disarm and neutralize these militia and the 
janjaweed."  Bot added that if there were no further 
progress, the EU is prepared to envision further measures, 
including sanctions.  The Conclusions also note that the EU 
"would welcome steps by the UNSG to establish as soon as 
possible an international commission of inquiry in order to 
immediately investigate all violations of human rights and 
humanitarian law, and to determine whether acts of genocide 
have occurred."  A Council official explained to us that this 
addition was meant to put the language more in line with the 
U.N. process.  Asked by the press about the Secretary's 
comments on genocide, Bot replied "you have to read carefully 
what he said."  (A Council source told us the EUFMs engaged 
in some detailed textual analysis of the Secretary's Senate 
testimony during the GAERC.  Our source added that the 
general feeling in the EU was that it was up to the UN to 
decide if genocide had occurred; it would be governments' job 
to decide what they were going to do about it.)  UK FM Straw 
in a separate press conference also noted GoS progress on 
humanitarian access.  Asked about genocide, Straw said 
judgments are being made in NY about GoS cooperation, and the 
international community clearly looks for better cooperation 
on law and order, and safety.  Straw said he had pushed for 
the enhancement of GAERC Conclusions to include the request 
for a UN investigation into genocide. 
 
IRAQ 
---- 
 
¶3. (U) The GAERC Conclusions reaffirmed a series of steps for 
the EU's political engagement with Iraq: EU Troika meetings 
with the IIG in NY; an invitation to PM Allawi to come to EU 
Summit on Nov. 5; and an EU civilian crisis management 
fact-finding mission (to look at police, rule of law and 
public administration).  The EU also underlined that 
"preparation of elections in close coordination with the UN 
is the overriding priority for EU support."  Finally, the 
GAERC "decided that a positive response should be given to 
the request of the UNSG for EU support to the UN Protection 
Force in Iraq.  The Council is now examining how substantial 
contribution can be made."  A Council source told us that 
pledges to help fund this were "a bit more concrete than at 
the Gymnich", and some Member States (she could not remember 
precisely which ones) had said they would put up some new 
money. 
 
IRAN 
---- 
 
¶4. (U) The GAERC Conclusions make only brief reference to 
Iran, reiterating the EU's request for "full compliance by 
Iran with suspension commitments".  FM Bot said the most 
important thing is that cooperation with IAEA should be 
intensified.  The EU expects Iran to agree with a full 
suspension of its enrichment activities.  Once that is 
entirely complied with, the EU would be prepared to envisage 
further cooperation with Iran.  Bot also announced the EU 
would co-sponsor a Canadian resolution on human rights in 
Iran, because the EU is "convinced the human rights situation 
has deteriorated."  French FM Barnier told the press 
separately that "we can take it to the UNSC, but we would 
prefer to have it solved in Vienna." 
 
ASEM/BURMA 
---------- 
 
¶5. (U) The GAERC Conclusions made minor changes to the 
Gymnich text on Burma, to clarify the process of tightening 
the EU measures against Burma if the Burmese authorities have 
not fulfilled the EU's conditions by the time of the Hanoi 
Summit (October 8).  The text now commits the EU to taking 
action at its subsequent GAERC meeting on October 11.  FM Bot 
disputed a reporter's assertion that the list of Burmese 
companies that would be covered by sanctions has not been 
discussed.  Bot said the EU FMS have clearly discussed the 
kind of companies that would be covered.  But External 
Relations Commissioner Patten noted that the EU still needed 
to discuss the precise distinction between private and state 
enterprises, presumably in order to come up with the list of 
"named state-owned enterprises" referred to in the 
Conclusions. 
 
BELARUS, THE BALKANS, AND LIBYA 
------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) GAERC Conclusions say the Council "has serious and 
well-grounded doubts as to whether the necessary conditions 
for holding a free and fair referendum in Belarus are 
fulfilled."  They go on to note that a badly done referendum 
"cannot remain without its consequences for the relations" 
with the EU.  On Bosnia, EU FMs approved without discussion 
the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for Operation ALTHEA, 
which will follow on NATO's SFOR mission in B-H.  Hungarian 
FM Kovac also raised concerns about the treatment of ethnic 
Hungarians in the Serbian province of Vojvodina.  The GAERC 
simply asked that EU missions in Belgrade prepare a report on 
the issue. 
 
¶7. (U) In an unanticipated move, the last sentence of the 
GAERC Conclusions notes that "the Italian delegation asked 
for the question of possible derogation to the arms embargo 
against Libya, to allow for cooperation in the field of fight 
illegal immigration (sic), to be taken up rapidly in the 
Council bodies." 
 
SCHNABEL