MAOIST VIOLENCE IN NEPAL: NO EU CLEARINGHOUSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 003207

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2014
TAGS: PTER KT NP EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: MAOIST VIOLENCE IN NEPAL: NO EU CLEARINGHOUSE
ACTION YET

REF: STATE 159970

Classified By: Political Officer Maren Smith for reasons 1.4 (b/d).


1. (C) We met on July 28 with Mario Ferrucci, deputy head of
the India, Nepal, and Bhutan unit in the Commission's
External Relations directorate, to discuss reftel points. He
said that UK pressure for designating the Maoists as a
terrorist organization was "a constant" in EU discussions,
most recently at the July 22 COREPER meeting. According to
Ferrucci -- who admitted that the Commission has no role in
the designation decision but is closely following the debate
-- the EU's position has not changed due to the "legitimate
possibility" that the peace process could take off. It would
not help, he said, to add the Maoists to the list of
terrorist groups at this point. Ferrucci also questioned
whether a freeze on Maoist assets in Europe -- which he
claimed were minimal -- would really have much of an effect
on the group's activities.


2. (C) Ferrucci confirmed that the Dutch Presidency was
drafting a strong statement intended to send a parallel
message, warning the Nepalese government to make progress on
development, good governance, and human rights reforms while
also threatening the Maoists with being added to the list of
terrorist groups if they did not support peace talks. The EU
has agreed to review progress and reconsider designation "by
the end of the year," according to Ferrucci.


3. (C) We also discussed points on July 27 with British and
Dutch contacts, who -- like Ferrucci -- noted that some
member states were concerned that freezing assets now would
hurt the peace process. The Council will revisit the issue
in September. According to British diplomat Anna Clunes, the
Germans have also argued that the Maoists do not meet the EU
criteria for designation because no competent (judicial)
authority has started an investigation or legal proceeding.
She suggested that it might be useful for the U.S. and the UK
to jointly lobby the Germans on this particular question in
September.