SPAIN ON OECD DECISION-MAKING REFORM PROPOSAL

UNCLAS MADRID 000859 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR EB AND EUR/ERA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ETRD SP OECD SUBJECT: SPAIN ON OECD DECISION-MAKING REFORM PROPOSAL REF: SECSTATE 53981 ¶1. We raised the USG reform proposal on decision-making with the MFA's Director General for International Economic Relations German Bejarano. He described Spain as strongly in favor of a reform on decision-making in the OECD. Bejarano criticized the lack of leadership evinced by the Secretary General in failing to forge consensus on priorities and the elimination OECD bodies that no longer made sense. ¶2. Bejarano said the Spanish government is seriously studying the US proposal. In general, it coincides with the direction Spain believes the reform should take, though clearly smaller OECD states will be instinctively concerned about any proposal that eliminates consensus, very reminiscent of other debates currently going on in Europe. He cautioned that this was a preliminary reaction which had yet to be vetted on the interministerial level. With elections scheduled March 14, an interministerial meeting to consider the proposal would be unlikely until just before the ECSS meeting. Also, with anticipated changes in the political level of relevant ministries, Bejarano doubted that Spain would come to the ECSS able to voice a well-defined position. He promised a readout of interministerial deliberations. ¶3. Bejarano currently plans to attend the March 29-30 ECSS. ARGYROS