POLAND-EU: DELIVERY OF DEMARCHE IN ADVANCE OF THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 000500

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ERA AND EUR/NCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ETRD EUN ENRG PL IR
SUBJECT: POLAND-EU: DELIVERY OF DEMARCHE IN ADVANCE OF THE
MARCH 5-6 FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING (GAERC)

REF: STATE 23592

Classified By: Political Counselor Mary T. Curtin, reasons 1.4(b) and (
d)


1. (C) SUMMARY. According to MFA EU Department Deputy
Director Pawel Herczynski, the March 5-6 GAERC will be
heavily focused on energy and climate issues, in advance of
the March 8-9 European Council (EC) meeting. Emissions
standards will be the most difficult part of the discussion.
Herczynski expressed Poland's agreement with the U.S. on
Bosnia issues, and noted the German presidency is trying to
bridge differences over how to approach Serbia, with Poland
wanting to see any opening of negotiations conditioned on
ICTY cooperation. On Iran, Herczynski said the GAERC will
likely call for further UNSC measures because of Iran's
non-compliance, but call also for diplomatic efforts to
continue. End Summary.


2. (C) ENERGY AND CLIMATE ISSUES: PolCouns met March 1 with
Herczynski to convey U.S. positions outlined in reftel and
discuss Poland's views on the subjects likely to be discussed
at the March 5-6 GAERC. Herczynski emphasized that energy
and climate issues, which he linked, would take up most of
the GAERC meeting, in order to prepare for the EC meeting the
same week. He noted that Poland and the U.S. agree on energy
security matters, but the climate change issues involved
internal EU negotiating in which Poland (as well as other
countries) had very particular concerns. He noted that
Poland was particularly concerned over efforts to set EU
targets for CO2 emissions. The current proposal is to use
1990 as the baseline for emissions, which would be more
difficult for countries like Poland which have experienced
considerable economic development, and thus energy
consumption, since then. Poland feels the 1990 baseline
would negatively impact newer EU members. Herczynski
predicted that this "tricky" issue, rather than energy
security, would dominate the discussion.


3. (C) WESTERN BALKANS: Herczynski noted that of all the
Western Balkans issues, only Bosnia is on the agenda, and
U.S. and Polish positions on Bosnia are very similar. Poland
supported the decision to extend the Office of the High
Representative. On Serbia, Poland believes the EU should
give positive signals to Serbia in order to encourage its
European perspective. He noted that the German presidency
had floated a proposal to bridge differences within the EU
under which the EU would set cooperation with the ICTY as a
condition for closure of negotiations on a Stabilization and
Association Agreement, rather than as a condition for opening
the negotiations. Poland believes the negotiations
themselves should not be opened until there is Serbian
cooperation. On Kosovo, Herczynski reiterated Poland's
agreement with the U.S. positions. He opined that, although
there are differences of opinion within the EU, there was
also an understanding that the EU would speak with one voice
on Kosovo, and take a position as close to that of the U.S.
as possible.


4. (C) ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ISSUES: Herczynski said Poland
welcomed stepped up U.S. diplomacy, including Secretary
Rice's recent trip.


5. (C) IRAN: Herczynski said that EU Ambassadors adopted
conclusions at their February 28 pre-GAERC meeting that
basically set the stage for GAERC conclusions. The EU will
express disapproval with Iran's lack of cooperation, note
that Iran has not fulfilled its obligations under UNSCR's,
and state that new measures should be taken in light of
Iran's non-cooperation. However, the EU will also state that
channels to negotiation should remain open and that a
diplomatic solution should be found.


6. (C) SUDAN/DARFUR: Herczynski said that the Sudan/Darfur
issue was not on the agenda, but the EU is now encouraging
member states to make contributions to the EU fund that
supports the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS). When
PolCouns asked if Poland would contribute, he said Poland was
considering at least doing something symbolic, but no
government decision had yet been made.


7. (C) UZBEKISTAN: Herczynski said there had been only
limited EU contacts with Uzbekistan since Andijon. The EU is
pressing for a human rights dialogue, but Uzbekistan does not
want discussion of the Andijon events to be part of that,
saying they have done enough. The EU disagrees with this
approach and so talks have not gone forward.
ASHE