VZCZCXYZ0007
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBS #1570/01 3271457
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231457Z NOV 09 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9717

UNCLAS BRUSSELS 001570 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR-IO/EX/FM, EUR-IO/EX/PMO, EUR/WE, EUR/ERA FOR 
WLUCAS, NDEAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AFIN AMGT PREL BE
SUBJECT: BELGIUM: SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING REQUEST FOR UPCOMING 
EU PRESIDENCY 
 
¶1.  (U)  Summary: On July 1, 2010, Belgium will assume the 
presidency of the EU council.  Effective USG representation 
with Belgium will be especially important in the fall of 
2010, because the Belgians will be engaged in implementing 
the structures of the EU under the Lisbon Treaty.  The 
Pol/Econ section in Brussels will have a significant increase 
in reporting workload, travel and representational events 
over and above its day to day functions during the six month 
presidency.  Post requests funding and staffing support at 
similar levels to Prague and Stockholm during their recent EU 
presidency experiences for the lead up to and duration of the 
Belgian EU presidency.  Post reqires a total of $186,308. 
End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U)  Post has spoken to Paris, Prague and Stockholm to 
gauge the amount of resources it will need.  In addition, 
post has met with USEU to clarify and delineate 
responsibilities between the two missions.  It is clear that 
despite being in close proximity to USEU, post will not be 
able to draw on USEU offices for functions normally performed 
by embassies in EU presidency countries.  USEU will continue 
to report on all meetings from the EU institutions and 
interface with EU commission and council officials.  Embassy 
Brussels will be required to report on essentially different 
meetings chaired by the Belgian presidency which will be 
additional to its normal duties.  Simply stated, USEU will 
cover formal meetings in Brussels and post will assume the 
responsibilities for all "informal" meetings, which are 
typically held in the hometowns of the hosting ministers.  As 
all the non-Belgian ministers travel from outside of Belgium, 
these meetings generally last more than two days and finish 
late, which necessitates an increased travel and 
accommodation budget.  Additional representational funds will 
be required to cultivate and develop key contacts from the 
GOB involved in the EU presidency before July 1, 2010. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Staffing: The Pol/Econ section in Brussels has a 
total of five foreign service officers and two LES, similar 
staffing to Embassy Stockholm.  In addition, the section head 
is often called on to fill in as Acting DCM for long 
stretches.  Following the Stockholm model, post will require 
four additional FS personnel: one OMS and three 
Political/Economic Officers (One at the 02 level and two at 
03 or below). 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Financial: 
 
Housing for additional employees: Post dopflow housing and cannot a of 
housing the extr`ties (Four Furnished A500 per month) = 4 x 4, 
Representation: Using thehe baseline 
with input fhd  ` 2,400 
 
Travel:  Becauseral State with three 
di competitive regions, t over half of the elQrial meetings schedulQ 
Brussels.  Of theQnot be pos day trQ ratio to 
apply to Qtings. 
 
In country: 2 FSOs x 10 trips x $50= $1,000 
 
Lodging: 1 FSO x 5 trips x ((1.5 M&IE x 125)   (200)) = $1,732 
 
Madrid Torch Passing Dec 2009 (2 FSOs x 2 Days/Nights): 
Flights ($800)   M&IE ($660)   Lodging ($1,180) = $2,640 
 
Budapest Torch Passing Dec 2010 (2 FSOs x 2 Days/Nights): 
Flights ($800)   M&IE ($244)   Lodging ($612) = $1,656 
 
No funds required for travel to USEU for consultations or 
 
meetings held in Brussels, which has been a major expense for 
other posts during their EU presidencies. 
 
Travel Cost Total: $7,028 
 
Overtime: Primarily for out-of-Brussels travel for LES and 
ELOs: $10,000 
 
Interpretation: Some significant Belgian commentators (such 
as a personal weblog by the FM as in Sweden) will require 
translation. Post estimates that this will cost: 120 working 
days @ $50 = $6,000 
 
Equipment: 
 
Blackberry - 4 x $395 = $1,580 (Cost of Blackberry $395) 
 
Computer Purchase - 4 x $1,100 (Unclass)   4 x $4,000 (Class) 
= $20,400 
 
ICASS Fee for 4 TDYers = $20,900  (Includes Class, Unclass 
and Blackberry set ups) 
 
-------------------------- 
REQUESTED TOTAL = $186,308 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  The following are the same figures broken down 
into traditional financial categories: 
 
¶A.  Program Costs: 
 
S/Object                       FY-10     FY-11 
1131/1134   Overtime          $5,000    $5,000 
2156        Travel            $3,140    $2,156    (NOTE: 
Assumed $500 plus Madrid travel for FY-10) 
            Lodging in BE     $866      $866 
2589        Rent Apartments   $54,000   $54,000 
            Interpretation    $3,000    $3,000 
 
One-time start-up costs: 
3100        Blackberries      $1,580 
            Computers         $20,400 
 
Program Costs Total:          $87,120    $64,156 
 
¶B. Representation:            $6,200     $6,200 
 
¶C. ICASS:                     $20,900 
 
Grand Total:                  $186,308 
 
¶6. (SBU)  The requested additional funds are the minimum 
necessary to accomplish the additional responsibilities under 
Belgium's EU presidency and can be viewed as an investment by 
the USG to favorably influence implementation of the Lisbon 
Treaty and ensure that the USG's voice is heard during the 
Belgian EU presidency.  We greatly appreciate EUR support for 
this request. 
 
EASON 
.