Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LISBON557
2007-03-06 17:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Lisbon
Cable title:  

PORTUGUESE EU PRESIDENCY LOGISTICS (C-RE6-02209)

Tags:  PREL PINR EU PO 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO7329
RR RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHLI #0557/01 0651729
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 061729Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY LISBON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5619
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 LISBON 000557 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2017
TAGS: PREL PINR EU PO
SUBJECT: PORTUGUESE EU PRESIDENCY LOGISTICS (C-RE6-02209)

REF: A. SECSTATE 13276


B. LISBON 00253

Classified By: Dana M. Brown, Pol-Econ Officer, Embassy Lisbon.
Reason 1.4 (B,C,D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 LISBON 000557

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2017
TAGS: PREL PINR EU PO
SUBJECT: PORTUGUESE EU PRESIDENCY LOGISTICS (C-RE6-02209)

REF: A. SECSTATE 13276


B. LISBON 00253

Classified By: Dana M. Brown, Pol-Econ Officer, Embassy Lisbon.
Reason 1.4 (B,C,D)


1. (SBU) In preparation for Portugal's term as the President
of the European Council from July-December 2007, the
Government of Portugal established an office dedicated to the
logistical coordination efforts. The "Presidential Mission"
(Missao Presidencia),led by career diplomat Jaime Leitao,
establishes the calendar of events in Portugal, designs and
updates the webpage, coordinates event security, catering,
lodging, transportation, media accreditation, and offers a
program for the ministers' spouses. The Mission began its
work in the fall of 2005 and became fully staffed around July

2006. In November 2006, Embassy Lisbon seconded an officer
to the office for a one month bilateral exchange, so the
Embassy has close working-level contacts and detailed
information about logistical arrangements.

--------------
The Price of Doing Business
--------------


2. (SBU) Portugal's current austerity budget limits its
ability to fund its EU Presidency at the same level as other
EU member states. Leitao stresses that the Portuguese
government cannot request that the nation "tighten its belt"
while it spends lavishly on EU meetings, so the MFA's
Presidency budget is limited to 45 million euros. Other
agencies will have small budget supplements added to account
for their additional EU responsibilities, but MFA is in
charge of the vast majority of the policy and logistical
coordination efforts. Of the MFA's total, roughly 12 million
is earmarked to support Portuguese embassies with their
additional costs for staff overtime and representational
activities. The remaining 33 million will cover all other
logistical requirements. Although several MFA officials have
mentioned that they suspect Portugal will exceed its budget,
the Mission is cautiously spending in an attempt to keep
within official spending limits. (Note: The 33 million is
20% lower than Portugal's 2000 budget even though the EU now
has an additional 12 members and 50% lower than Finland spent

in its just completed presidency.)


3. (SBU) Portugal plans to limit costs by hosting most
meetings in one "permanent venue" at Lisbon's Atlantic
Pavilion in the grounds formerly used for the 1998 Expo. The
advantages include that the site is fully operational, offers
ample parking, is accessible by both the train and Lisbon
city metro systems, and is city property. Since the Lisbon
city government owns the facilities, the Mission used a legal
clause similar to eminent domain in the United States to use
the space rent free. Unfortunately, Lisbon had already
leased the facilities to others immediately before and after
Portugal's EU term, so the construction company will only
have three weeks to construct special delegation rooms with
translation booths and press conference spots before July 1
and four days to dismantle their work before New Year's Eve.


4. (SBU) The second cost-saving measure was to solicit
corporate sponsorship in twelve key areas including car
rental for 40 Audi A8s, cell phones from either Portuguese
Telecom (PT) or Vodafone, computers from Hewlett-Packard with
Microsoft software, GALP gasoline, bottled water, and paper.
Sponsor donations were capped at 250,000 euros and the GOP
will pay the difference if necessary. Finally, the GOP will
use active duty police officers as drivers to avoid using
costly professional chauffeurs.

--------------
Making Do with Less
--------------


5. (U) While the budget has forced a limit on spending and on
staffing of the logistics office, Portugal has discussed
strategy with other small nations to compensate. One
significant tool is to use the conference management software
that Luxembourg developed during its 2005 EU presidency and
Germany is currently using both for its presidency and the
G-8 logistical coordination. The software allows the
30-person Presidency Mission staff to set up meetings,
accredit delegates and media members, notify all participants
of changes via text messages, and account for the running
costs from any network accessible computer in real time.
When Luxembourg officials were demonstrating the software's
capabilities, they noted that Luxembourg's presidency had
used the software to add 30 unexpected meetings after the
Asian tsunami. They noted that each presidency has faced
some unexpected crisis and stressed that the software was

LISBON 00000557 002 OF 003


developed to make the most of a small team working under a
tight budget. Everyone in the logistics office is currently
training on the system's use and should be well versed by
July.


6. (U) Logistics office officials also told Pol-Econ officer
that the Portuguese were accustomed to working on projects at
the last minute and were flexible enough to make necessary
changes as needed. They seem confident that their
experienced EU logistical team, half of whom worked on the
logistics for Portugal's last EU Presidency in 2000, will be
able to handle any last minute changes.

--------------
Playing Well with Others
--------------


7. (U) The new concept of a "trio" presidency with Germany
and Slovenia is more focused on policy coordination than
logistics, but Portugal is paying careful attention to making
the transition as easy as possible. Since Germany and
Portugal are using the same conference management software,
registration and communications should transition smoothly,
and Portugal is making efforts to emulate Germany's other
best practices where possible. Portugal also has offered
Slovenia advice on their first presidency and encouraged them
to consider using a permanent venue and Luxembourg's software
to facilitate the transition. Portugal has regular meetings
with other EU member states to discuss logistical plans for
upcoming presidencies.

--------------
Other Priorities
--------------


8. (C) Leitao and others in his office voiced concerns that
their tight budget might give others the impression that
Portugal was hosting "on the cheap." In particular, lodging
and catering budgets were less than half that of other recent
EU hosts. The catering contract was for either one or two
buffets per day (depending on media participation) not to
exceed 200,000 euros total over six months. At the same
time, EU regulations state that any contract over 180,000
euros must be opened up to an EU-wide competition and Leitao
was apprehensive that outside catering competition from more
expensive labor markets could drive up local bids. Lodging
the ministers during informal ministerial meetings was
another concern since the budget would put ministers in four
star hotels in Lisbon while Portugal had offered five star
accommodations in 2000. The plan was to work with Banco
Espirito Santo Tourism to provide up to four rooms per
delegation for many meetings - up to 120 rooms for all high
level meetings except the European-Mediterranean meetings
which will probably exceed 200 rooms (see ref B for
schedule). To ensure miscellaneous charges are paid by the
delegations, the Mission will require all delegates to
register a credit card number for any room service, mini bar,
or other charges. In 2000, miscellaneous bills from
delegation hotel charges topped several thousand dollars.


9. (SBU) Media coverage will vary depending on public
interest in the particular meeting, so the media services
coordinators are attempting to make it easy for journalists
to get online accreditation, filing services at the Atlantic
Pavilion, and individual plasma screens for each registered
news service. Journalists will have 120 filing stations for
their use during the Presidency. Media can also request
accreditation on the day of the meeting but may be subject to
long waits and security checks.

--------------
Bio Notes
--------------


10. (SBU) The Presidency Mission Logistics office is staffed
with two career diplomats, several civil service employees
from other agencies, and contractors. The director is Jaime
Leitao, who served as Deputy Director of the office during

2000. He worked most recently in Brussels as the Portuguese
Spokesperson at the EU and in the Portuguese embassy in Rome.
He is fluent in French and Italian, and comfortable in
English. Leitao worked well with former Minister of Foreign
Affairs Freitas do Amaral and with current FM Luis Amado. He
briefs Amado on the Mission's progress monthly. Leitao
studied law and reviews all contracts carefully but delegates
other negotiations and all technical issues to his staff.
Leitao has two teenage children.


11. (SBU) Joao Ribeiro de Almeida is the Coordinator for the
Permanent Venue at the Atlantic Pavilion and is in charge of
establishing the schedule, and overseeing modifications to

LISBON 00000557 003 OF 003


the venue. Ribeiro de Almeida previously worked as FM
Freitas do Amaral's chief of staff and transferred into the
Mission when FM Amado assumed office. Ribeiro de Almeida is
a career diplomat who has served in Zagreb, Luanda, Dili, and
Athens. He is fluent in English and French.
Hoffman