VZCZCXRO5662
OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK
RUEHYG
DE RUEHBS #1304/01 2710913
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 280913Z SEP 09 ZDK
FM USEU BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEU/EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 001304 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/RPM 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON EUN
SUBJECT: EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: THE NEW DELEGATION 
FOR RELATIONS WITH THE U.S. 
 
REF: BRUSSELS 1075 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified - please handle accordingly. 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY:  The new EP Delegation for Relations with the U.S. 
(U.S. Delegation) was designated on September 16 in Strasbourg.   It 
is the largest EP delegation with 53 members and is in charge of 
developing relations with the U.S. Congress.  For the first time in 
nearly 20 years the delegation will not be led by a British member. 
Elmar Brok, a senior German MEP from the European Peoples' Party 
(EPP) and the delegation's new Chairman, will have the task working 
within the framework of the Transatlantic Legislator's Dialogue 
(TLD) to continue to enhance cooperation across the Atlantic. The EP 
will also soon open its own office on the Hill, to improve 
communication channels between MEPs and Congressmen.  END SUMMARY. 
 
ROLE AND COMPETENCES 
-------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) The Delegation for Relations with the U.S. (U.S. Delegation) 
is charged with developing relations with the U.S. Congress within 
the framework of the Transatlantic Legislative Dialogue (TLD).  This 
includes bi-annual meetings between the European Parliament and the 
U.S. Congressional delegations (once a year in the U.S. and once a 
year in the EU) as well as a series of videoconferences organized on 
specific topics of mutual concern.  A Steering Committee, currently 
co-chaired by Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV) and Chairman Brok 
coordinates these TLD activities. 
 
¶3. (U) Furthermore, the U.S. Delegation, as designated within the 
framework of the TLD, is an official advisor to the Transatlantic 
Economic Council (TEC).  The TEC is a political body created at the 
April 2007 U.S.-EU Summit to oversee and accelerate 
government-to-government cooperation with the aim of advancing 
economic integration between the European Union and the United 
States. 
 
CHAIR LEAVES BRITISH HANDS 
-------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) The Chairman for the next two and a half years (or 
"half-term") will be Elmar Brok, a respected senior MEP from the 
main center-right EPP group and former chairman of the Foreign 
Affairs Committee (reftel).   This is a significant change in 
leadership because the U.S. Delegation has been chaired by UK MEPs 
since 1989.  Staffers from the delegation told us informally that 
they view this as a positive change, since Brok, as a very senior 
and well-respected MEP, will be able to move the delegation away 
from what they termed "British turf."   (Note. As Foreign Affairs 
Committee Chairman, Brok proved himself a committed 
transatlanticist.  He repeatedly pushed for increased ties between 
the Foreign Affairs Committee and the U.S. delegation and has 
attended many meetings of the TLD. End Note.) 
 
PROMOTING TRANSATLANTIC DIALOGUE 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The delegation grew in both size and strength during the 
last parliamentary term and proved to be a useful tool for 
transatlantic dialogue.  The delegation's last Chairman, Jonathan 
Evans, a former head of the British Conservatives in the EP, 
re-activated the TLD by organizing popular videoconferences on 
subjects such as financial services and climate change.  Evans also 
revitalized the bi-annual consultations by inviting MEPs to attend 
who were not necessarily members of the U.S. Delegation but who were 
experts on the specific issues that were discussed.  He also 
involved the committees in the delegation's work and asked each 
committee in the EP to designate one "key staffer" acting as a link 
with the delegation.  Evans's predecessor, James Nicholson (UK, 
EPP,) had also obtained a special authorization to hold the meeting 
taking place in Europe in the capital of the EU presidency.  The 
opportunity to visit capitals other than Brussels proved to be an 
effective incentive for members of congress to participate more 
actively. 
 
6.(SBU) The Secretary General of the EP, Klaus Welle told us on 
September 23 that a green light has been given to the opening of an 
EP office in Washington, staffed by two full-time positions and 
distinct from the existing Commission delegation.  That office will 
be an additional communication channel between the EP and Congress 
and will facilitate the future work of the U.S. delegation. 
 
 
KEY MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION 
----------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Below are brief descriptions of several notable members of 
the delegation: 
 
BRUSSELS 00001304  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
-- Sarah Ludford (UK, ALDE):  elected first vice-chairwoman, she was 
a vocal opponent of the Bush administration's war against terrorism. 
 She is a strong advocate of data privacy and a strong opponent of 
the PNR and SWIFT agreement.  A member of the previous delegation, 
she embarrassed some other members when, during one of the TLD 
trips, she told the press that Colin Powell was "the only person 
that was not completely mad in the U.S. government." 
 
-- Niki Tzavela: (Greece, EFD):  elected second vice-chairwoman, she 
is a new member of the small, very right and euroskeptic EFD group. 
She said during her presentation that she had studied in the U.S., 
including in the Harvard Kennedy School and had been active for 25 
years in big companies in the private sector. 
 
-- Hans-Gert Poettering (Germany, EPP):  former EP President, he is 
a substitute in the delegation.  It is not certain however that he 
will be very active in the delegation. 
 
-- Rachida Dati (France, EPP):  a controversial and iconic political 
figure in France, Dati comes from modest Algerian origins.  She was 
chosen by President Sarkosy to be Minister of Justice in 2007 but 
was pressured to quit the government in 2009 and run for the 
European elections. We are expecting her to be a low-profile MEP as 
she already announced her intentions to run in the French municipal 
elections. 
 
--Karl-Heinz Florenz (Germany, EPP):  former chairman of the 
Environment Committee and drafter of the EP report on climate 
change. 
 
--Anneli Jaatteenmaki (Finland, ALDE):  former Finnish Prime 
Minister, Jaatteenmaki resigned in 2003 under pressure over the 
accusation that she had lied to Parliament and the public over how 
she had acquired confidential Foreign Ministry documents which she 
used during the election campaign.  These documents contained 
diplomatic information from a meeting between President Georges W. 
Bush and Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen about Finland's position 
regarding the Iraq war. She was cleared of charges in 2004. 
 
--Hannes Swoboda (Austria, S&D):  an MEP since 1996, he is a 
Vice-Chairman of the socialist group and is considered as socialist 
Chairman Martin Schulz's "right arm."  He has been, and will remain, 
an active member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. 
 
--Jeanine Hennis Plasschaert (The Netherlands, ALDE):  she is the 
ALDE coordinator in the Civil Liberties Committee and is a 
specialist in immigration, asylum and border control issues. 
 
-- Peter Skinner (UK, S&D):  a member of the previous delegation, he 
is known as "Mister Financial Services". 
 
-- Stavros Lambrinidis (Greece, S&D):  currently an EP 
Vice-President, Lambrinidis is a lawyer with experience in U.S. law 
firms who is very interested in transatlantic relations.  An EP 
Vice-President, he was in the last term an active member of the 
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee, very critical 
of treatment of EU data (SWIFT/PNR) by U.S. law enforcement 
agencies. 
 
-- Jacqueline Foster (UK, ECR):  started her career as flight 
attendant and then owner of a aviation consultancy company.  She is 
very active on transport and aviation issues. 
 
-- Catherine Trautmann (France, PES):  a former French Culture 
Minister in the socialist Jospin government, Catherine Trautmann has 
been in charge of the important report on the telecom package in the 
last legislature. 
 
-- Wolfgang Kreissl-Dorfler (Germany, S&D):  also a member of the 
Foreign Affairs Committee, Kreissl-Doffler was a very active and 
critical MEP in the temporary committee on CIA flights and 
renditions. 
 
-- Claude Turmes (Luxembourg, Green):  a specialist in climate 
change and energy policy, he is also the Secretary of "Friends of 
the Earth Europe." 
 
-- Sir Robert Atkins (UK, ECR):  a senior British conservative MEP 
who has held many ministerial posts in the past, Atkins is a 
self-described "friend of the U.S".  He told us he is very happy to 
be in the delegation as his son is currently working for 
Burston-Marsteller in Washington DC. 
 
-- Peter Stastny (Slovakia, EPP):  former professional ice hockey 
player in the North American National Hockey League (NHL) 
from1980-1995, he is currently the General Manager of the Slovak 
national ice hockey team.  He is also the leader of the Slovak 
 
BRUSSELS 00001304  003 OF 003 
 
 
delegation in the EPP group. 
 
-- Zbigniew Ziobro (Poland, ECR):  from the conservative Law and 
Justice party (PiS) of Polish President Kaczynski.  Although a 
controversial figure in Poland, Ziobro was a high vote getter in his 
native Krakow.  He served as Minister of Justice in the 2005-2007 
PiS government and was known for his brash style. 
 
MURRAY