DUTCH: NO E.U. CONSENSUS FOR FIRST STEP AGREEMENT

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 001413 SIPDIS STATE FOR EB/TRA/YOUNG AND WALKLET; EUR/UBI/HOLLIDAY TRANSPORTATION FOR MARY STREET E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAIR NL SUBJECT: DUTCH: NO E.U. CONSENSUS FOR FIRST STEP AGREEMENT REF: SECSTATE 124593 ¶1. On June 7 econoff conveyed reftel demarche to Rene Fennes, head of International Relations at the Ministry of Transport. Fennes reported that among those supporting a first step agreement were Spain, the Netherlands and (to his recent surprise) now France. The UK remains "vehemently" opposed. According to Fennes, Secretary Minetta has influenced German Transport Minister Stolpe, but many others in Stolpe's ministry still oppose a first-step agreement. ¶2. Typically pessimistic, Fennes speculated that only "near unanimity" among transport ministers in favor of an agreement would be sufficient to pressure the staunchest agreement opponents to yield. Fennes said no such consensus yet existed, and characterized internal member state efforts to persuade each other as inconclusive. SOBEL