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DE RUEHRO #1415/01 3251613
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201613Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1197
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES 3465

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ROME 001415 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
EUR/PGI FOR D. TESSLER 
EUR/WE FOR C. JESTER S. HARTMANN AND L. MCMANIS 
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR C. CONNORS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG KGHG IT
SUBJECT: CLIMATE CHANGE: ITALIAN GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION 
 
Refs: a) 11/14/08 Embassy Rome Daily Report, 11/18/08 EU EST Report 
(notal)  b) State 116939 (notal)  c) Rome 1326 d) 9/26/08 Embassy 
Rome Daily Report (notal) 
 
ROME 00001415  001.6 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  Sensitive But Unclassified - paragraphs as marked. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Summary.  Since the election of the Berlusconi Government 
in April, 2008, and in light of Italy's 2009 G8 Presidency, the G8 
Sous-Sherpa for Foreign Affairs has taken the Italian lead for the 
Major Economies process.  The European Policies Minister and an 
inter-agency committee that he or Prime Minister Berlusconi chairs 
also have taken on an important role in combining economic and 
environmental concerns, reflected in Italy's current push for 
changes in the European Union (EU) climate/energy package to lighten 
the costs for Italian industry.  While economic sustainability is a 
new climate policy thrust for Italy, veteran experts from the 
Environment Ministry continue to play a key role in Italian climate 
policy, both in the Ministry and on loan to other government 
entities.  End summary. 
 
¶3.  (U) Ref b) requested information on organizational changes in 
host governments over the past 12-18 months to deal both 
internationally and domestically with climate change issues.  The 
responses below are keyed to ref b) questions. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Changes in Bureaucratic Structure 
--------------------------------- 
 
4:  (SBU) Q: Has your host government altered its bureaucratic 
structure for addressing climate change over the past 12-18 months? 
If so, how?  How might upcoming elections affect current policy 
positions and entities? 
 
A:  Yes. The Government of Italy (GOI) first aimed at integrating 
economic/energy and environmental concerns in climate policy through 
the appointment in 2007 of a special Major Economies (ME) lead and 
the creation of an inter-agency committee.  Following the 
installation of the Berlusconi Government in May, 2008, the Foreign 
Ministry (MFA) G8 Sous-Sherpa for Foreign Affairs, the European 
Policies Minister and an inter-agency committee on EU matters have 
moved to the fore.  In light of the Berlusconi Government's strong 
majority in Parliament, Post does not anticipate early elections. 
(New elections are not required under Italian electoral law until 
April 2013.)  Details of the GOI organizational changes and current 
GOI climate negotiations with the EU are described below. 
 
Major Economies Process Prompts First Re-organization 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) In September 2007, in response to the USG request that 
then-Prime Minister Prodi nominate a personal representative to head 
Italy's delegation to the first Major Economies (ME) Meeting, Prof. 
Valeria Termini was given that role.  She continued to lead Italy's 
participation in ME meetings, backed up by Foreign Ministry (MFA) G8 
Sous-Sherpa Guido La Tella, until after the Berlusconi Government 
took office in May 2008.  Termini's nomination effectively placed 
the lead for ME negotiations with the Prime Minister's office and 
the Foreign Ministry, rather than with the Environment Ministry, 
which has the Italian lead on United Nations climate negotiations. 
It also provided a forum for coordination of economic and 
environmental policies related to climate change, since Termini was 
made Chair of an inter-agency technical-scientific committee for G8 
energy and climate change issues, which included the Environment, 
Economic Development (Energy), Trade and Economy Ministries.  The 
committee prepared a coordinated GOI position for the December 2007 
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 
negotiations.  The Environment Minister served as the head of 
delegation to the UNFCCC meeting, while Termini served as a lead 
technical official. 
 
Growing Role of G8, European Policies Officials... 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) With the fall of the Prodi Government, Termini's role 
gradually faded away, as apparently did the energy/climate 
inter-agency committee.  MFA Sous-Sherpa La Tella since has taken on 
the role of lead Italian representative for the ME process.  (See 
ref c) for his views on potential 2009 ME meetings in Italy.)  In 
light of Italy's 2009 G8 Presidency, both La Tella and G8 Sherpa 
Amb. Giampiero Massolo have set up G8 staffs, at the MFA and the 
Prime Minister's office, respectively.  Both of these offices have 
experts on loan from the Environment Ministry and the private 
sector, who will assist with G8 environmental and energy issues, 
including climate change.  In addition, in summer 2008 the MFA added 
 
ROME 00001415  002.3 OF 003 
 
 
responsibility for non-nuclear energy issues to the environment and 
sustainable development portfolio held by Counselor Giovanna 
Piccarreta. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) At the same time, European Policies Minister Andrea Ronchi 
has emerged as the GOI's leading policy-level voice on the EU's 
"20-20-20" climate-energy package.  Ronchi has led a "road show" 
around Europe, seeking support for Italy's requests for changes to 
the package to reduce its cost for Italian industry, which the GOI 
holds would cost Italy 40 percent more than the EU average.  GOI 
inter-agency discussions on the package, which have dominated 
Italian climate-change policy-making in recent months, take place in 
the Inter-Ministerial Committee for European Community Affairs, 
CIACE (website: 
http://www.politichecomunitarie.it/attivita/? c=ciace), which PM 
Berlusconi or Minister Ronchi chairs.  See ref d) for key changes 
that Ronchi is seeking in the EU package. 
 
...but Environment DG Clini is still key 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Minister for the Environment and Territory and Sea 
Protection Stefania Prestigiacomo will head Italy's delegation to 
the ministerial-level portion of the December UNFCCC negotiations in 
Poznan, Poland, as did her predecessor in 2007.  Environment 
Director General Corrado Clini, who normally attends only the 
ministerial UNFCCC session, but who is also Italy's technical lead 
for negotiating with the EU Commission on the costs of the 20-20-20 
package, will be in Poznan for the full December 1-12 meeting, in 
order to be in close contact with all those involved in the EU 
negotiations (ref a)).  Although Minister Ronchi was quoted in the 
press on November 11 as saying that Italy was likely to reach a 
satisfactory agreement with the EU on the 20-20-20 package by 
December 31, Post heard from a well-informed contact that same day 
that the negotiations were still at a very difficult point.  Italy 
reportedly wants to avoid having PM Berlusconi block the package 
with a veto, but has not yet achieved enough in the negotiations to 
avoid that. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Washington advocacy on climate change 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Q: To what extent are new ministries or foreign offices 
strengthening their embassies in Washington to represent views on 
climate change to the U.S. Executive Branch and Congress? 
 
A:  Italy has not changed its Washington representation on climate 
change in the last 18 months.  Long-time Italian Washington Embassy 
Science Attache Giorgio Einaudi commented that he has not engaged in 
recent climate-related outreach, because he has not received 
guidance from Rome on the Berlusconi Administration views on the EU 
climate/energy package and their relation (if any) to Italy's 
position on global climate negotiations.  He anticipates that he 
will reach out to the new U.S. Administration on climate issues, 
once there is clearer definition within the Berlusconi Government on 
Italy's positions. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Contact from other embassies on climate change 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶10.  (U) Q: To what extent have your colleagues in other embassies 
sought you out to discuss the climate change issue or current and 
prospective U.S. policy on climate change? 
 
A:  SCICouns recently was contacted by an Australian diplomat, who 
was seeking insight into the changes Italy is requesting in the EU 
climate/energy package.  SCICouns also has been invited to events 
related to clean energy and climate at the Dutch and British 
Embassies.  (The British Embassy has an active Green Embassy 
program, and has included Post Management Officers in their events.) 
 In early 2008, the British Consulate in Milan urged AmConsulate 
Milan to formally endorse an "Energy-Saving Day" initiative, 
launched by the hosts of an Italian radio program, to coincide with 
the mid-February anniversary of the entry-into-force of the Kyoto 
Protocol.  While the Mission did not formally endorse the 
initiative, the Embassy and three consulates did reduce lighting 
where possible (the main Energy-Saving Day observance suggested). 
 
¶11.  (U) The Embassy also issued a press release highlighting the 
Mission's Sustainability Initiative and noting the actions taken to 
express support for energy-saving.  A 13 February 2008 centerfold 
piece on key foreign embassies in Rome, in leading business daily Il 
Sole-24 Ore, featured an interview with Ambassador Spogli that 
 
ROME 00001415  003.4 OF 003 
 
 
included a description of the Mission's Sustainability Initiative. 
(The British Ambassador was not interviewed.)  The Initiative also 
was featured in another story in leading daily Corriere della Sera; 
Post continues to get inquiries.  Note: Post recently joined the 
League of Green U.S. Embassies.  End note. 
Spogli