VZCZCXRO0756
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHTC #1902/01 2891456
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161456Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0541
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0556

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 001902 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/ERA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IS KPAL PREL PGOV ETRD ETTC NL EU
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/EU: DUTCH PREVIEW OCTOBER 15-16 GAERC 
POSITIONS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 141316 
 
THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE HANDLE 
ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1. (SBU) On October 10, Embassy shared reftel points with the 
Dutch MFA's EU Correspondent, Desiree Kopmells; Deputy 
Director for European Integration, Marisa Gerards; and 
Pauline Diepenbroek, Senior Policy Officer, European 
Cooperation Directorate. 
 
¶2. (SBU) WTO off the agenda:  Diepenbroek told Econoff that a 
discussion of WTO/DDA had been taken off the agenda for the 
upcoming GAERC meeting as well as the October 22 Agricultural 
Council.  She speculated that the EC had decided to wait to 
brief EU Member States until they had a better sense of next 
steps.  Meanwhile, she said the GONL welcomed the USG 
decision to consider "concrete texts" on Agriculture and 
Non-Agricultural Market Access. The GONL remained committed 
but had "measured optimism" of a successful Doha outcome in 
all negotiating areas, she added. 
 
¶3. (SBU) In response to STATE 143223, the matter of Iran will 
be covered septel. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Deputy EU Correspondent Rochus Pronk reviewed the 
remaining agenda items with Poloff and presented the Dutch 
positions: 
 
IGC 
--- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Dutch are satisfied with the October 5 draft of 
the EU treaty because it follows the IGC mandate from June 
and because it will be presented as a treaty.  Key elements 
for the Dutch include the Charter on Fundamental Rights and 
the Protocol on Services.  The Dutch expect the week of 
October 15 to be decisive, but Poland has a long list of 
unresolved issues.  Nonetheless, the Dutch expect the treaty 
to be signed in December and ratified by the Dutch parliament 
in 2008. 
 
Burma 
----- 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Dutch support additional sanctions beyond the 
2004 and 2006 measures; they want a strong signal to Burma. 
Along with the UK, Sweden, and Denmark, the Dutch support 
broadening sanctions to the oil and gas sectors, but other EU 
members are opposed.  The current sanctions package covers 
precious metals and stones. 
 
Kosovo 
------ 
 
¶7. (SBU) The Dutch support the troika efforts but in order to 
deploy any troops through ESDP, they need an international 
mandate. 
 
Russia 
------ 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Dutch support a &constructive, critical, and 
unified8 EU approach for the summit.  They will continue to 
raise economic relations, internal developments such as human 
rights.  PM Balkenende will visit Russia in November. 
 
Libya 
----- 
 
¶9. (SBU) They have tasked or expect to task the Commission 
with creating a plan for engaging Libya, to incorporate it 
into the Barcelona process and the European neighbor policy. 
 
Peace Process 
------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) The Dutch position toward Hamas is unchanged. 
They,ve provided 3 million Euros in response to the UNRA 
appeal. 
 
Iraq 
---- 
 
¶11. (SBU) The Dutch support an increase UN presence.  The 
Dutch parliament is concerned about the treatment of 
Christians, so they have pushed for language on the treatment 
of religious minorities. 
 
THE HAGUE 00001902  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
Chad 
---- 
 
¶12. (SBU) Netherlands supports a possible &joint action8 
and maybe a military contribution, but that decision is tied 
to Afghanistan deployment. 
 
Zimbabwe 
-------- 
 
¶13. (SBU) The Dutch are cautiously optimistic about Mbeki,s 
mediation.  But the Dutch will attend the EU-AU summit. 
Undecided who will attend though. 
 
Afghanistan 
----------- 
 
¶14. (SBU) The Dutch demarched GOA on the executions.  Getting 
the ESDP mission up and running has been a challenge. 
Arnall