Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BRUSSELS1086
2007-03-30 09:47:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Brussels
Cable title:
ITS DEMARCHE -- BELGIANS RACING AGAINST CLOCK TO
how-toVZCZCXYZ0004 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHBS #1086 0890947 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 300947Z MAR 07 FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4947 INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0435 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1511 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1544 RUEHLE/AMEMBASSY LUXEMBOURG 8323 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1853 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 2966 RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 4147 RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 8405 RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 7019
UNCLAS BRUSSELS 001086
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EUR/OHI -- E. NAKIAN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: ITS DEMARCHE -- BELGIANS RACING AGAINST CLOCK TO
SECURE RATIFICATION BY EARLY MAY, SEEK USG STATEMENT ABOUT
PRIVACY
REF: SECSTATE 40845
UNCLAS BRUSSELS 001086
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EUR/OHI -- E. NAKIAN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: ITS DEMARCHE -- BELGIANS RACING AGAINST CLOCK TO
SECURE RATIFICATION BY EARLY MAY, SEEK USG STATEMENT ABOUT
PRIVACY
REF: SECSTATE 40845
1. (U) Action request -- see paragraph three.
2. (U) With legal formalities expected to be concluded during
the first few days of April, the Belgian government will
press both chambers of the legislature to ratify the Bonn
Accords opening access to the ITS archives before
parliament's dissolution in early May 2007. Acting MFA Legal
Adviser Verryken told polcouns and German DCM the Foreign
Minister had urged the parliamentary leadership to ensure
this international agreement did not get lost in the shuffle
as parliamentarians rushed to complete their work before
hitting the campaign trail. Verryken's information generally
tracked with comments FM De Gucht made recently to visiting
U/S Burns, and to assurances given us by the Prime Minister's
staff. If the parliament does not act prior to dissolution,
the next parliament would have to resume the process from
square one.
3. (U) Verryken promised to give careful study to the U.S.
proposal on allowing technical transfer of material to
national repositories before the amendments come into force.
He noted parenthetically that the Belgian authorities may
decide like Luxembourg not to request copies of the archival
material. Since preparation of an instruction booklet for
using the material into Dutch and French is likely to be very
costly, the Belgians may instead urge their nationals to
visit the Bad Arolsen archives. The Belgians also intend to
ask their Benelux partners and the French about developing a
mutually compatible system for accessing the material.
3. (U) Action Request: In preparation for possible queries
from Parliament, Verryken asked if the USG could provide a
formal explanation of how access to and use of any material
in the archives will be affected by U.S. privacy regulations.
He raised this topic because one member of the Council of
State (the legal body that must pre-clear legislation),posed
the question when the agreement was under consideration. Any
parliamentarian determined to throw up an obstacle to quick
passage could use this issue when the agreement is before the
Senate or House Foreign Affairs committees. Note: the
Belgians told us that the Council was satisfied by a
statement that "All EU countries provided an equivalent level
of privacy protection" to that available to Belgian
citizens." Embassy urges department to provide appropriate
language as quickly as possible. Imbrie
.
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EUR/OHI -- E. NAKIAN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: ITS DEMARCHE -- BELGIANS RACING AGAINST CLOCK TO
SECURE RATIFICATION BY EARLY MAY, SEEK USG STATEMENT ABOUT
PRIVACY
REF: SECSTATE 40845
1. (U) Action request -- see paragraph three.
2. (U) With legal formalities expected to be concluded during
the first few days of April, the Belgian government will
press both chambers of the legislature to ratify the Bonn
Accords opening access to the ITS archives before
parliament's dissolution in early May 2007. Acting MFA Legal
Adviser Verryken told polcouns and German DCM the Foreign
Minister had urged the parliamentary leadership to ensure
this international agreement did not get lost in the shuffle
as parliamentarians rushed to complete their work before
hitting the campaign trail. Verryken's information generally
tracked with comments FM De Gucht made recently to visiting
U/S Burns, and to assurances given us by the Prime Minister's
staff. If the parliament does not act prior to dissolution,
the next parliament would have to resume the process from
square one.
3. (U) Verryken promised to give careful study to the U.S.
proposal on allowing technical transfer of material to
national repositories before the amendments come into force.
He noted parenthetically that the Belgian authorities may
decide like Luxembourg not to request copies of the archival
material. Since preparation of an instruction booklet for
using the material into Dutch and French is likely to be very
costly, the Belgians may instead urge their nationals to
visit the Bad Arolsen archives. The Belgians also intend to
ask their Benelux partners and the French about developing a
mutually compatible system for accessing the material.
3. (U) Action Request: In preparation for possible queries
from Parliament, Verryken asked if the USG could provide a
formal explanation of how access to and use of any material
in the archives will be affected by U.S. privacy regulations.
He raised this topic because one member of the Council of
State (the legal body that must pre-clear legislation),posed
the question when the agreement was under consideration. Any
parliamentarian determined to throw up an obstacle to quick
passage could use this issue when the agreement is before the
Senate or House Foreign Affairs committees. Note: the
Belgians told us that the Council was satisfied by a
statement that "All EU countries provided an equivalent level
of privacy protection" to that available to Belgian
citizens." Embassy urges department to provide appropriate
language as quickly as possible. Imbrie
.