CZECH REPUBLIC NOT SUPPORTIVE OF SEPARATE IPR OR

UNCLAS PRAGUE 000870

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NCE AND EUR/ERA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PREL EZ EUN
SUBJECT: CZECH REPUBLIC NOT SUPPORTIVE OF SEPARATE IPR OR
ENERGY DECLARATIONS AT U.S.-EU SUMMIT

REF: STATE 106113


1. (SBU) Post delivered reftel points to oficials at the
Ministry of Trade and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The
Czechs are sending Ivana Holubkova (Deputy Director of the
Americas Department in the MFA) and Zuzana Skalna (of the MFA
trade and agriculture policy section) to Brussels on June 7
to deal with preparations for the Summit. Also key to the
discussion will be Blanka Fajkusova of the Czech Mission to
the EU.


2. (SBU) Ladislava Votavova, Director of the Department of
Multilateral Trade Policy and the EU Common Trade Policy at
the Ministry of Industry and Trade is the Czech Republic's
new 133 Committee titulaire, replacing Otomar Louda, who has
reluctantly retired from the Ministry. Votavova shared with
us Czech Republic's agreed position on the Summit
declaration, prepared for use by Votavova in the 133
Committee and in COTRA. The text of this document has been
e-mailed to USEU and EUR/ERA.


3. (SBU) The Czech position does not support the two
supplemental declarations sought by Washington.
Nevertheless, we have urged their inclusion to Votavova,
Holoubkova and Skalna. We also urged the deletion of
references to investment and the like, and emphasized the
U.S. desire to keep the tone of the final document as
positive as possible. Skalna said that there is very little,
if any, support among the member states for the separate IPR
document. The Czechs want the document to be unified, action
oriented and concise.


4. (SBU) The most important thing to the Czechs is as usual
their desire for a waiver of visas, as applies to some other
EU countries. The Czechs support the creation of a
Regulatory Cooperation Forum, so long as it allows for
significant input from the member states. They also support
continued negotiations for an air transport services
agreement, EU efforts to remove perceived market access
barriers at the U.S. state and local level, and strengthening
of the U.S.-EU Financial Markets Regulatory Dialogue. The
Czechs view IPR and energy cooperation as important, but
apparently not sufficiently so that they automatically
support separate declarations on those subjects.

CABANISS