Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04THEHAGUE792
2004-03-26 16:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy The Hague
Cable title:  

BIO INFORMATION ON NEW EU CT COORDINATOR

Tags:  PTER PREL NL BIO 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000792 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR S/CT, EUR, EUR/UBI, INL
DOJ FOR OIA FRIEDMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2014
TAGS: PTER PREL NL BIO
SUBJECT: BIO INFORMATION ON NEW EU CT COORDINATOR


Classified by DCM Danny Russel for reasons 1.5 (b & d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000792

SIPDIS

STATE FOR S/CT, EUR, EUR/UBI, INL
DOJ FOR OIA FRIEDMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2014
TAGS: PTER PREL NL BIO
SUBJECT: BIO INFORMATION ON NEW EU CT COORDINATOR


Classified by DCM Danny Russel for reasons 1.5 (b & d).


1. (U) On March 25, Dutchman Gijs de Vries was officially
appointed by European government leaders as EU counter-
terrorism coordinator. Below follows his biographic
information.


2. (C) COMMENT: De Vries is known to Embassy officers as a
quiet and serious man who has been active in trans-Atlantic
policy issues, particularly through his involvement with
the Netherlands Atlantic Commission. He is described as
very smart, approachable, well versed in the EU ways of
working and positive towards the US. Our Dutch contacts
say he was selected to replace the former FM van Mierlo as
the GONL rep to the IGC because he was "solid, but not a
difficult to guide heavy hitter." We judge that he brings
to his new job an in depth knowledge of the EU, an ability
to recognize bureaucratic pitfalls, and a Dutchman's knack
for teasing consensus out of a fractious group. We do not
believe, however, that he has much knowledge of CT issues.
END COMMENT.


3. (U) Gijsbert Marius (Gijs) de Vries was born in New York
on February 22, 1956, and is a dual national. He is
married to a Canadian and has two children. He studied at
the University of Leiden and graduated with a degree in
politics in 1981. For the next three years he was attached
to the Faculty of Law at the Leiden University. In 1984 he
became a member of the European Parliament, representing
the Liberal VVD Party. Between 1989 and 1992 he was
chairman of the European Parliament delegation for
relations with Canada. In July 1994, he became chairman of
the Liberal and Democratic group within the European
Parliament. From 1998 to 2002 he served as State Secretary
of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the second
"Purple" Kok Cabinet. From 2002 to 2003 he was government
representative in the European Convention.


4. (U) His other previous functions include: board member
of the Political Institutions Committee of Amnesty
International; board member of the European Union Baroque
Orchestra; the supervisory board of the Intercai telematics
consultancy; advisory committee of the Amsterdam-Sarajevo
City Link organization; and the advisory committee of the
Anti-Racism Information Center. In addition, De Vries
chaired the Netherlands Atlantic Association and was co-
founder of the Transatlantic Policy Network.


5. (U) As State Secretary for the Interior, De Vries was
responsible for contingency planning as well as for
Netherlands Antillean affairs. His fellow politicians
describe him as "intelligent, sharp, analytical, modest,
and to-the-point." He is praised for his integrity,
knowledge of languages and extensive European network.
Because of his sober lifestyle, his colleagues in the
European Parliament sometimes called him "le vent du nord
(northern wind)." However, De Vries received praise more
for his work as MEP than as Interior State Secretary. In
2000 and 2001 he was faced with two major disasters
(fireworks explosion in Enschede and bar fire in Volendam),
which he didn't handle very well, according to critics. De
Vries was also criticized by the government of the
Netherlands Antilles for forcing them to cut spending
without keeping his promises for social support.


6. (U) In an interview in Volkskrant daily of March 26, De
Vries admits he doesn't know much about intelligence
services. De Vries: "I come from a different world. I do
know a lot about European legislation and diplomacy, which
is crucial for a sharper anti-terror policy." He notes
that "liberty, democracy and security are core principles
for a liberal like me. Terrorists are threatening these
values and then I consider it my duty to defend them." De
Vries observes that, as State Secretary for the Interior,
he was closely involved in drawing up plans to prevent
nuclear, bacteriological and chemical attacks in the
Netherlands. As CT coordinator, De Vries also sees himself
as a "driver, someone who tackles member-states failing to
observe their commitments." According to De Vries, one of
Europe's main shortcomings is implementing laws.

Sobel