OECD: COUNCIL DISCUSSES BUDGET, MAY MINISTERIAL AS WELL AS

UNCLAS PARIS 007864 SIPDIS SENSITIVE -- FROM USOECD SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/ERA, EB, IO/S AND E, NSC FOR MCCORMICK E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON OECD EFIN ETRD EAID SUBJECT: OECD: COUNCIL DISCUSSES BUDGET, MAY MINISTERIAL AS WELL AS ENLARGEMENT AND ENHANCED ENGAGEMENT, WHERE SYG GURRIA PROPOSES A WAY AHEAD REF: (A) PARIS 7799 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The OECD Council met all day on December 14 for its last regularly scheduled session in 2006. PermReps considered the program of work and budget (PWB) for 2007-2008 (see reftel), enlargement and enhanced engagement as well as planning for the May 2007 Meeting of the Council at Ministerial Level (MCM). The Council also heard a report from Ambassador Morella, Chair of the Committee on Public Affairs and Communication (CPAC) and approved the latest OECD publishing policy. ¶2. (SBU) The discussion of enlargement and enhanced engagement centered on an informal paper (text e-mailed to EUR/ERA) laying out the Secretary General (SYG)'s personal thoughts on next steps. Reactions to the paper, which calls for including all BRICS in the category of potential accession, basically split along EU and non-EU lines. The former objected to having EU candidates considered "in the context of a balanced enlargement process" and to the suggestion that the representation of the EU in the OECD Council should merit further discussion. As we move into the holidays, capitals will be asked to closely examine the key issues for enlargement and enhanced engagement in order to prepare for Council's next two scheduled discussions, January 11 and the first week of February. END SUMMARY. Enlargement -------------- ¶3. (SBU) SYG Gurria circulated an informal paper with his personal thoughts on the way ahead for OECD enlargement and enhanced engagement (copy of the text has been forwarded to EUR/ERA). PermReps expressed general approval for the SYG's taking the initiative but criticized some specific elements. The SYG's paper focuses heavily on the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and the need to engage with these emerging economies if the OECD is to remain relevant in today's international economy. In this respect, the SYG suggests a near term accession package which would include at least several of the BRICS, starting with Russia and Brazil. Noting there may some "problems" with China and India, he still considers them as potential members in the not too distant future. He also wants to expand relations with South Africa with the possibility of beginning accession negotiations in the near term. His paper is strong on Chile for near team accession, while it posits that Israel "could" be included in this category. ¶4. (SBU) PermRep responses to the SYG's emphasis on the BRICS reflected a real divide between EU and non-EU Members. The Belgian Ambassador called for caution, noting that including China, Russia and India would change the nature of the Organization, while the Mexican Deputy praised the "real" regional balance contained in the paper. Australia, while agreeing that bringing in the BRICS would change the OECD's culture, noted that there were positive elements to change. She also questioned the designation of Southeast Asian candidacies as only medium term. The Turkish rep supported Russian and Brazilian accession, while Austria noted that Russia (and Israel) had moved some distance away from OECD standards in the past five years. Korea, New Zealand and Mexico each spoke in favor of focusing first on the BRICS, and even France (bucking the general EU trend) expressed support for Russia, South Africa, Chile and Israel and consideration of medium term membership for China and India. ¶5. (SBU) A number of EU ambassadors criticized the paper for its treatment of the EU member candidates and the suggestion that the relationship between the OECD and the EU might deserve examination as part of the enlargement process. Several EU members took issue with the SYG's suggestion that EU member countries might be examined as a group, while being individually considered for accession in the context of a balanced enlargement process, which could involve a sequencing of accessions. The Greek Ambassador, one of the more outspoken critics, questioned mentioning any EU member state by name (the SYG had cited Slovenia as the EU state which might begin the accession process). Most EU reps who spoke, including the European Commission, demanded that the sentence: "A related issue that would merit discussion is the representation of the EU in the Council of the OECD" be stricken. For them this was a sensitive issue which the EU would first have to consider internally. ¶6. (SBU) Ambassador Morella agreed with the SYG that enlargement and enhanced engagement were key to enhancing the OECD's relevance. She said this objective, as laid out in the paper, includes helping countries consolidate the transition to a market economy. She urged the EU members to work out the role they see for the EU in the OECD to help the Council move forward. The Australian and Swiss ambassadors supported Ambassador Morella, with the Australian stressing that the EU should come up with a solution. She noted that while the EU questioned the candidacy of the countries of Southeast Asia, none of the EU 6 plus 2 met the Noburu criterion of significant player. ¶7. (SBU) SYG Gurria reiterated that the paper was the result of his own thinking based on the Council's previous discussions. He noted that "we are in the beginning of the next stage of the process." In response to an Italian comment that the Council was working on two levels - one, the vision of the OECD for the next 15 to 25 years and two, the accession process for individual countries - the SYG agreed that the process was like a negotiating a contract, with a certain down payment (basic accord with the Noburu criteria) and a payment schedule (where the new members would have to reach designated milestones). He hoped that in May at the MCM, Ministers could give a signal to those countries that would be ready to begin accession negotiations; "then the real process of bringing them on board will begin." ¶8. (SBU) These remarks led several ambassadors to raise more philosophical questions. Canadian Ambassador Bourgon called on the Council to avoid insisting on prohibitions; e.g., the EU should not be asked to give up on the 6 plus 2; however, one should ask if the OECD is the place for global economic engines (i.e., the U.S., the EU, China, India and Russia) to come together. Here, each and every member should bring something to the table. In answering her own question - should being European be reason for membership? - she said, "I do not think so." The Ambassador of New Zealand reminded colleagues that her country was also small and like-minded, but there should be no automaticity to EU countries becoming members. She too appealed to the EU to help find solutions to pragmatic questions of timing, absorptive capacity, etc., and not just demand that the 6 plus 2 be accorded accession. ¶9. (SBU) The SYG concluded the discussion by stressing that decisions on membership in the end will be political in nature. Here, it will be important to hear from capitals, while at the same time capitals will want advice from the Council. He picked up on the idea of the Polish Ambassador that Council schedule a (reinforced) session in February with representatives from capitals to review outstanding issues. The Dutch Ambassador also called for finding a place (informal discussions) where PermReps can express their views honestly, a space where they can say "naughty constructive things." Enhanced Engagement -------------- ¶10. (SBU) SYG Gurria noted that his paper also addresses the question of enhanced engagement, where he has suggested underpinning an expanded relationship with non-members within the context of regional programs. He then asked Canadian Ambassador Bourgon, outgoing Chair of the External Relations Committee (ERC),to report on the Committee's work on enhanced engagement. Ambassador Bourgon directed Council's attention to the "food for thought" ERC paper, "Enhanced Engagement" (ERC(2006)15). The paper, she said, lays out possible elements of a "typical" program of enhanced engagement. She continued that since that the ERC has completed its conceptual work, the Council needs to provide further guidance. The issue now is to determine which countries are to be offered enhanced engagement, since each partnership will be unique. ¶11. (SBU) Ambassador Bourgon and members of the Secretariat also reported on a separate paper prepared by the Secretariat on regional approaches (C(2006)168) - basically a stocktaking of what the OECD was already doing in this area. Of note was the fact that almost 50 percent of the funding for global relations work in the OECD is tied to regional approaches. This finding should be of major import for future outreach (including enhanced engagement). Financing Enlargement and Enhanced Engagement -------------- ¶12. (SBU) The SYG's paper also addresses financing enlargement (but not enhanced engagement). The SYG offered that enlargement may require revising the current scale of contributions, and this adjustment should be decided prior to moving into accession negotiations, and then called on Ambassador Smidt of Denmark, Chair of the Special Group on Financing Enlargement and Enhanced Engagement. Ambassador Smidt reported that the Group was moving in the direction of recommending the concept of a base fee to be paid by all members with the size and conditions for using that fee still to be determined. He also noted that new members will need to pay for accession negotiations and the start up of membership, but charges will be tailored for each individual candidate. Regarding enhanced engagement, Ambassador Smidt said that costs will depend on what type of engagement individual candidates choose and that it will be difficult to determine how to fund this engagement until the ERC and the Council are able to define exactly what is meant by enhanced engagement. The Special Group was to meet on December 18 to continue its deliberations and take up the question again following the New Year. Planning for the May Ministerial -------------- ¶13. (SBU) DCM Reid, who chaired the last meeting of the Executive Committee (ExCom),reported on the ExCom's discussion of preparations for the 2007 Council Meeting at Ministerial Level (MCM) scheduled for May 14-15. The major outstanding issue remains the theme of the meeting, which the ExCom had proposed should be: "Innovation, Growth and Equity: The Way Ahead." Spanish Ambassador Ballestero (Spain's Minister of Finance Solbes will chair the MCM) suggested to Council what he termed a more dynamic title: "Innovation for Growth and Striving for Equity: Advancing the OECD's Agenda." This new proposal caught many by surprise and led to an inclusive debate where some argued the social goals of equity and others the desire for growth and equity to be compatible. Deputy SYG Akasaka, who is coordinating the MCM, said that he would review the title informally with interested delegations and return to Council for further discussion in January. At that time the Council will also address other elements of the agenda, including the trade session and Ministerial discussion of enlargement and enhanced engagement. (COMMENT: The issue of the theme for the MCM revolves around how to include the words innovation, growth and equity, with the primary stress on innovation. We suspect that it may not be easy to meet everyone's desires. END COMMENT.) ¶14. (SBU) Ambassador Bourgon reported that the ERC had reviewed the issuing of invitations to non-members. It was agreed that Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa (the BRICS) would be invited to all sessions except the one on enlargement and enhanced engagement. Regular observers to the Trade Committee would be invited to the session on trade. A decision on inviting other international organizations (the Geneva Group) would be deferred until the Trade Committee meets in March. Items Approved Without Debate -------------- ¶15. (U) All of the items on the agenda that were "likely to be approved without debate" were approved by Council with the exception of the item regarding the European Council of Ministers of Transport which was referred back to the Executive Committee (ExCo) at the insistence of France for further discussion. (NOTE: This item was approved on December 20, in a short Council session that gave final approval to the 2007-2008 Program of Work and Budget.) MORELLA