FRANCE: DEMARCHE IN ADVANCE OF INTERNATIONAL

UNCLAS PARIS 007490 SIPDIS SENSITIVE FOR EB/CIP, EUR/WE, IO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KTIA EWWT ANET AORC PREL ECPS FR SUBJECT: FRANCE: DEMARCHE IN ADVANCE OF INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION'S MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING REF: SECSTATE 183434 ¶1. (SBU) Econoff delivered reftel demarche November 16 to Eric Berder, Ministry of Transportation Deputy Director for Maritime Safety. Berder noted that the EU had developed a common position on the issue, to which France adhered. They viewed the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO) as having fundamentally different roles: the IMO as regulator, and IMSO as properly charged with technical coordination. He said this had been expressed in a Spanish proposal adopted at a previous meeting of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC),and felt that the U.S. proposal to have the IMO take on coordinating responsibilities for the Long Range Identification and Tracking program (LRIT) ran contrary to this decision. IMSO could be strengthened if necessary to execute these responsibilities. ¶2. (SBU) Berder took particular note of our argument that IMSO did not have the legal authority to perform these responsibilities at present and the likely delays that acquiring this would entail. He had not heard this point raised before. However, he believed that the recent amendment to the IMSO convention gave it sufficient legal authority to play such a role. He said he would pass our points to the GOF representative in London who follows IMO affairs. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm STAPLETON