U/S/ SHEERAN DISCUSSES PROPOSED TRANSATLANTIC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 011634 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ENRG EAIR ETRD PREL EUM GM SUBJECT: U/S/ SHEERAN DISCUSSES PROPOSED TRANSATLANTIC ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP WITH GERMAN ECONOMIC ADVISOR WEIDMANN ¶1. Summary. In a January 17 meeting with Chancellery Senior Economic Advisor Weidmann, U/S Sheeran and EEB A/S Sullivan praised Chancellor Merkel,s commitment to strengthen the transatlantic relationship and said the USG is examining her Economic Partnership initiative for opportunities to enhance economic cooperation. Weidmann said that Germany believes a clear commitment from the political leaders to specific regulatory goals is required to introduce a new level of ambition into the relationship. A/S Sullivan told Weidmann that, with German leadership, a U.S.-EU air services agreement is within reach for this year's Summit. He also urged Germany to take the lead in achieving a Doha Round trade agreement. End Summary. ¶2. Participants: U.S. FRG -------------- --- U/S Sheeran Jens Weidmann A/S Sullivan Andreas Nicolin, Benedict Wolf, E Staff MFA Berlin Eric Luftman, EUR/ERA Egon Kochanke, Thomas O'Keeffe, EUR/AGS Econ MinCouns John Struble, Helge Hassold, Econoff EEB (notetaker) ¶3. On January 17, Chancellor Merkel,s Economic Advisor Jens Weidmann called on Under Secretary for Economic and Agricultural Affairs Josette Sheeran and Assistant Secretary for Economic, Energy and Business Affairs Daniel S. Sullivan to outline the Chancellor's proposal for a new Transatlantic Economic Partnership (TEP). Weidmann said he understood that there had been a White House meeting that same morning to discuss the TEP. U/S Sheeran welcomed Dr. Weidmann, noting that this would be one of her last meetings in the USG before moving on to her new position as Executive Director of the World Food Program. However, she has a keen interest in the issues and wanted to take this final opportunity to engage. Long-Term Transatlantic Project -------------- ¶4. Dr. Weidmann explained that Chancellor Merkel is personally engaged in improving U.S.-European relations during Germany,s EU Presidency. She envisions the TEP as starting a long-term transatlantic project that can yield both economic and political benefits. Only by working closely together can the United States and the EU maintain their competitiveness in the rapidly evolving world economy, he said. There are many existing working-level initiatives. Now it is critical to involve political leaders to give these projects the support needed to achieve concrete results. ¶5. U/S Sheeran enthusiastically welcomed Chancellor Merkel,s leadership and commitment to the transatlantic partnership. The USG views Germany,s EU Presidency as an invaluable opportunity to reenergize U.S.-EU economic cooperation. In a global context, she said, it is clear that it is the United States and the EU that are the responsible stakeholders in the world economy, agreeing on far more than they disagree. ¶6. Regarding to the TEP, U/S Sheeran said the USG views the proposal as offering an opportunity to accomplish long-standing shared objectives. The USG still is looking at the specific components of the proposal. We face a tight deadline if it is to be endorsed at this year,s Summit in April. Specific questions that must be addressed include: What deliverables are available for the Summit? Are there initiatives that can be launched through the TEP? And are there any current projects that are stagnant and should be dropped? A/S Sullivan added that we must consider carefully where we want to go with U.S.-EU economic cooperation. The USG views the TEP as an opportunity to begin a process that will continue beyond Germany,s EU Presidency. ¶7. Dr. Weidmann suggested that a bilateral working group be established, to identify both &low-hanging fruit8 among existing projects, as well as promising areas for future, long-term cooperation. For example, he said that with new technologies developing, new areas, such as radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology and nanotechnology, are emerging that may soon require regulation. The United States and the EU need to begin cooperating now, so that they do not find themselves with conflicting regulatory regimes in the STATE 00011634 002 OF 002 future. Political Commitment Key to Regulatory Cooperation -------------- -------------- ¶7. Weidmann continued that the FRG seeks to introduce &a new level of ambition8 into transatlantic cooperation. He stated that this requires a strong political commitment to regulatory cooperation from leaders in the form of a binding agreement. As envisioned by the FRG, such an agreement would set specific targets and deadlines for regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to reduce diverging regulatory requirements. Estimating Costs of Regulatory Divergence -------------- ¶8. Weidmann, who holds a doctorate in economics, specifically proposed a project to estimate the economic costs of the regulatory differences across the Atlantic is needed to establish a baseline from which to set specific targets for reducing regulatory costs. U/S Sheeran remarked that balancing the costs and benefits of specific regulations is crucial. She suggested that as a concrete example of what regulatory cooperation can achieve, it would be useful to identify a single product and determine how much regulation adds to its total cost. She also suggested involving third countries in the process. Weidmann agreed that this might help deflect suspicions that the TEP is protectionist, while maintaining the norm-setting role of the U.S. and EU. ¶9. Weidmann emphasized the importance of gaining the support of legislators on both sides of the Atlantic in the undertaking. He noted that in his meetings with Congressional leaders, these issues seemed abstract to them. U/S Sheeran agreed that arguments in terms of improved U.S.-EU cooperation have little resonance. With the Congress, the issue must be framed in terms of the economic benefit for the United States. This is the advantage of one concrete example, demonstrating the cost of unnecessary regulatory divergence. Biofuels -------------- ¶10. U/S Sheeran suggested biofuels as another emerging technology where regulations had not yet been established, and where U.S.-EU regulatory cooperation could be very beneficial. She noted in this context that Europeans divide economic and environmental aspects of issues differently than the U.S., while a unified approach would help mutual understanding. Aviation Services -------------- ¶11. A/S Sullivan reported that the round of talks on U.S.-EU Air Services the previous week had made significant progress. Although much work remains to be done, an agreement can be reached in time for the Summit with German leadership. DDA --- ¶12. A/S Sullivan assured Weidmann that a successful outcome to the Doha Round trade negotiations remains a key priority at the highest levels of the USG. Strong German leadership within the EU will be critical to achieving success. RICE