OPERATION BALKAN VICE IV: EU RESPONSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 002828

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE, S/WCI
TREASURY OFAC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/2014
TAGS: PREL MOPS EFIN ETTC EUN KWAC USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: OPERATION BALKAN VICE IV: EU RESPONSE

REF: A. SECSTATE 142628


B. USEU BRUSSELS 903

Classified By: Political Officer Maren Smith for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d
).


1. (C) We met on June 30 with Council and Commission
representatives to discuss ref A demarche. Council
Secretariat Director for the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe,

SIPDIS
and Central Asia Stefan Lehne and desk officer Helene
Holm-Pedersen had no comment on the four entities mentioned
in our demarche, but did note that the EU had recently added
new people -- all of whom were directly linked to Karadzic --
to its visa ban list. They said that asset freezes were
unlikely due to EU and member-state legal constraints, but
Holm-Pedersen suggested that the incoming Dutch Presidency
would take a particularly strong interest in this issue. She
added that there is an EU measure in the works relating to
the assets of actual indictees (not just supporters or people
linked to suspects) (ref B). As it requires formal
consultation with the European Parliament, the 13 June
elections and consequent changes in the EP have slowed the
process. After the EP has been consulted, the measure will
return to the Council, where Holm-Pedersen foresaw no
problems with its final approval.


2. (C) Patrick Rock, External Relations Commissioner Chris
Patten's cabinet adviser on Balkans issues, pointed to the 30
June EU statement offering full support for Ashdown's actions
in Bosnia earlier in the day and stressing the need for full
cooperation with the Tribunal. Regarding visa bans, Rock
thought that it was possible that the EU would follow the
U.S. and add additional names recommended by Ashdown. He was
firm, however, in saying that the EU was not able to freeze
assets of ICTY indictee support networks, which he attributed
to legal issues in some member states. Although the
presidency country could not change member-state law, Rock
did feel that the Dutch might be able to take a more active
approach and encouraged our raising the issue with them.
Rock said that the EU's Western Balkans Working Group (COWEB)
would almost certainly consider the demarche at its next
meeting and remarked that the UK "could often be helpful."

SCHNABEL