EU STAKES OUT "COMPLEMENTARY BUT DISTINCT"

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001256

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2014
TAGS: PREL EAID XF EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EU STAKES OUT "COMPLEMENTARY BUT DISTINCT"
APPROACH TO GME

Classified By: Political M/C Kyle Scott. Reason: 1.4 (B)(D)


1. (C) Summary. At its March 22 Foreign Ministers' meeting,
the EU welcomed a report outlining a comprehensive European
approach to the Middle East. Dubbed "EU Strategic
Partnership with the Mediterranean and the Middle East," the
paper supports the basic ideas underpinning the U.S. reform
agenda for the Greater Middle East (GME),but seeks to define
a complementary but distinct approach for Europe. The
Europeans will be shopping their ideas around the Middle East
over the coming months, but this week's endorsement of the
Irish Presidency's interim report indicates we have the EU on
board on GME as long as they can maintain an independent
profile. End Summary.

Vibrant Debate in Brussels Culminates in Irish Strategy Paper
-------------- --------------


2. (U) At this week's EU FM meeting, the EU welcomed an
interim report prepared by the Irish Presidency on a European
strategy toward the Middle East. The report was mandated in
December 2003, and was the result of intensive consultations
in Brussels over the past two months. U/S Grossman's
discussions with Hirep Javier Solana and PSC Ambassadors
stimulated a vibrant debate inside the EU on how it should
proceed. Sixteen papers were submitted by EU member states,
the Council, and Commission and used as input in producing
the final draft submitted by the Irish.


3. (U) The Irish paper attempts to lay out the core elements
of a European strategy toward the Middle East. The
Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EMP - commonly called the
Barcelona Process) remains the cornerstone of EU policy. The
EU is the dominant trade partner in the region, but also a
significant donor: it contributes nearly one billion euros
each year to EU development assistance activities in the
Barcelona countries, and the European Investment Bank offers
financing worth another two billion euros annually. The
Irish paper puts great stress on this "partnership,"
emphasizing that any efforts to reach out to the countries of
the Middle East must offer them a sense of "ownership."


4. (U) The EU also seeks to bind its policy in the region
firmly to its commitment to remain fully engaged in seeking
resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The EU FM's noted
that "progress on the resolution of the Middle East conflict
cannot be a pre-condition for confronting the urgent reform
challenges facing the countries of the region, nor vice
versa. But it is clear that it will not be possible to build
a common zone of peace, prosperity and progress unless a just
and lasting settlement of the conflict is in place. The lack
of clear prospects for peace is already making it harder for
reformers in the region to succeed."

EU Objectives and Principles: The Eleven Points
-------------- --


5. (U) The Irish text outlines eleven key objectives and
principles for EU policy in the region, as follows:

1) Promote the development of a common zone of peace,
prosperity and progress;
2) Geographic scope: primarily North Africa and the Middle
East;
3) Resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict will be a
strategic priority;
4) Partnership requires long-term and sustained engagement;
5) The EU should strengthen its political dialogue with the
region;
6) The EU should use its dialogue with countries of the
region to promote human rights and the rule of law;
7) The EU should promote action and cooperation on terrorism,
WMD and non-proliferation;
8) The EU will support internally driven reforms in the
economic, political and social spheres, noting in particular
the UNDP Human Development Report emphasis on education, good
governance and women's empowerment;
9) The EU will seek an "enhanced security dialogue" (not
further explained);
10) The EU will support modernization of the regulatory
environment in the region to promote WTO membership; and
11) The EU will work closely with the US, the UN and other
external actors in pursuit of these goals.

Comment
--------------


6. (C) In presenting its "Eleven Points," the EU has covered
much of the same ground that underpins the President's
Forward Strategy for Freedom, and is clearly on track to
support the ideas in our GME initiative. The challenge will
be keeping them there in the coming months. The next steps
for the EU are to begin a series of consultations with
countries in the Middle East on their "Strategic Partnership"
ideas, so that a final concept document can be adopted by the
EU at their June Council session (June 17-18). That meeting,
falling as it does between the G-8 and the US/EU summits,
will be an opportunity to highlight the "complementary but
distinct approach" of the EU. Already, however, we are
hearing concerns from the Council and Commission that events
in Gaza may divert the Arab League summit and ruin chances
for a unified appeal for reform in the region. Without this
or some other plausible "sense of ownership" for Middle East
reform, the EU will be reluctant to step forward boldly.

SCHNABEL