IRISH RESPONSE TO FSC/ETI DISPUTE

UNCLAS DUBLIN 000068

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD USTR
SUBJECT: IRISH RESPONSE TO FSC/ETI DISPUTE
WILSON-EU TRADE OFFICERS FAX OF 1/20/05

REF: STATE 11149


1. On January 20, Post delivered ref a talking points and
ref b letter to Frank Doheny, Assistant Principal in the
Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment (DETE)
Multilateral Trade Division. Doheny noted that Tony Joyce,
DETE Senior Trade Negotiator and Ireland Titulaire, had
raised in the January 19 133 meeting Ireland's concerns about
the automaticity provisions in the Commission's proposed
Regulation suspending EU FSC/ETI retaliatory duties. Joyce
planned to reiterate these concerns more forcefully in the
January 21 133 Titulaires' discussion. These concerns,
explained Doheny, centered on the likely negative effect that
the automaticity provisions would have on U.S.-EU trade
relations. Econoff asked whether support was sufficient
among the Member States for a qualified minority to block
inclusion of the automaticity provisions in the Commission's
Regulation. Doheny replied that the Irish were unsure of
this possibility, since not enough Member States had spoken
up at the 133 meeting against the provisions. He observed
that the automaticity debate was likely to play out over a
matter of months. He also said he presumed that EU
Ambassador to the United States (and former Irish Prime
Minister) John Bruton had been in touch with EU Trade
Commissioner Mandelson on sensitivities in the U.S. Congress
concerning the automaticity trigger in the EU Regulation.
KENNY