VZCZCXYZ0010
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBS #1478 3031550
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 301550Z OCT 09
FM USEU BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM

UNCLAS USEU BRUSSELS 001478 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR S/CRS, EUR/ERA, AF/RSA, INR/EUC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINS EUN
SUBJECT: EU RESPONSE TO S/CRS NON-PAPER ON CRISIS MANAGEMENT 
 
1.(U) IN RESPONSE TO A RECENT NON-PAPER SENT BY S/CRS TO THE GENERAL 
SECRETARIAT OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, THE COUNCIL 
SECRETARIAT RESPONDED OCTOBER 28, WITH APPROVAL OF THE SWEDISH EU 
PRESIDENCY.  FULL TEXT OF RESPONSE IS IN PARA 2. 
 
2.(SBU) VERBATIM TEXT OF EU RESPONSE: 
 
The General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union (GSC) 
takes note of the non-paper received from S/CRS on the EU-US work 
plan on Technical Dialogue and Increased Cooperation in Crisis 
Management and Conflict Prevention. 
 
The GSC proposes that the work plan continues to be implemented in a 
pragmatic manner and welcomes greater focus on areas where both 
sides can add value to ongoing or potential activities on the 
ground. 
 
In particular, the GSC notes the useful exchanges to date - 
including in the fields of training, where an EU staff member was 
able to participate in S/CRS training courses - and recent 
horizontal discussions on training, planning and concepts. 
 
The GSC welcomes the S/CRS offer to host EU experts in Washington 
for two crisis management workshops and a wider EU delegation visit 
in the coming period and looks forward to a fruitful dialogue on 
crisis management cooperation. 
 
Given certain imminent organisational changes within the Council 
Secretariat, it is proposed that the issue of an exchange of 
planners is revisited at a later date. The GSC proposes the EU 
proposes deepened cooperation in the form of collaborative work on a 
common planning methodology for multi-actor, multi dimensional CM 
operations. The starting point for this work could be the strategic 
planning framework developed during Multi-national Experiment 5. 
 
The GSC proposes that the US is fully involved in briefings and 
consultations in the framework of the CME CMX 2010 exercise, as well 
as the exchange of exercise-related documentation. 
 
The EU highly appreciates US cooperation to date in the ambit of 
ESDP operations and welcomes S/CRS interest in sending personnel to 
ESDP missions. The GSC is happy to follow up with further 
information on the technical requirements/possibilities for 
secondments. Both sides should give due consideration to the 
signature of an agreement establishing a framework for the 
participation of the United States in EU crisis management 
operations. The conclusion of such an agreement would serve to 
facilitate the participation of US personnel in those ESDP missions 
for which the decision to solicit Third State contributions has been 
made. 
 
The GSC welcomes S/CRS interest in supporting AU efforts to prevent 
conflicts and build sustainable peace and the suggestion of the 
secondment to the AU of Civilian Response Corps members. The GSC is 
happy to explore possibilities for further cooperation - in 
alignment with UN activities in this area - through dialogue between 
sectoral experts. 
 
With the aim of deepening implementation of the existing EU-US 
agreement on the exchange of classified information, the GSC 
proposes technical discussions to explore the feasibility of an 
electronic means of exchange of classified information. 
 
MURRAY