CLIMATE CHANGE: ITALIAN GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ROME 001415 SENSITIVE SIPDIS EUR/PGI FOR D. TESSLER EUR/WE FOR C. JESTER S. HARTMANN AND L. MCMANIS STATE PASS TO NSC FOR C. CONNORS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV ENRG KGHG IT SUBJECT: CLIMATE CHANGE: ITALIAN GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION Refs: a) 11/14/08 Embassy Rome Daily Report, 11/18/08 EU EST Report (notal) b) State 116939 (notal) c) Rome 1326 d) 9/26/08 Embassy Rome Daily Report (notal) ROME 00001415 001.6 OF 003 ¶1. Sensitive But Unclassified - paragraphs as marked. ¶2. (SBU) Summary. Since the election of the Berlusconi Government in April, 2008, and in light of Italy's 2009 G8 Presidency, the G8 Sous-Sherpa for Foreign Affairs has taken the Italian lead for the Major Economies process. The European Policies Minister and an inter-agency committee that he or Prime Minister Berlusconi chairs also have taken on an important role in combining economic and environmental concerns, reflected in Italy's current push for changes in the European Union (EU) climate/energy package to lighten the costs for Italian industry. While economic sustainability is a new climate policy thrust for Italy, veteran experts from the Environment Ministry continue to play a key role in Italian climate policy, both in the Ministry and on loan to other government entities. End summary. ¶3. (U) Ref b) requested information on organizational changes in host governments over the past 12-18 months to deal both internationally and domestically with climate change issues. The responses below are keyed to ref b) questions. -------------- Changes in Bureaucratic Structure -------------- 4: (SBU) Q: Has your host government altered its bureaucratic structure for addressing climate change over the past 12-18 months? If so, how? How might upcoming elections affect current policy positions and entities? A: Yes. The Government of Italy (GOI) first aimed at integrating economic/energy and environmental concerns in climate policy through the appointment in 2007 of a special Major Economies (ME) lead and the creation of an inter-agency committee. Following the installation of the Berlusconi Government in May, 2008, the Foreign Ministry (MFA) G8 Sous-Sherpa for Foreign Affairs, the European Policies Minister and an inter-agency committee on EU matters have moved to the fore. In light of the Berlusconi Government's strong majority in Parliament, Post does not anticipate early elections. (New elections are not required under Italian electoral law until April 2013.) Details of the GOI organizational changes and current GOI climate negotiations with the EU are described below. Major Economies Process Prompts First Re-organization -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) In September 2007, in response to the USG request that then-Prime Minister Prodi nominate a personal representative to head Italy's delegation to the first Major Economies (ME) Meeting, Prof. Valeria Termini was given that role. She continued to lead Italy's participation in ME meetings, backed up by Foreign Ministry (MFA) G8 Sous-Sherpa Guido La Tella, until after the Berlusconi Government took office in May 2008. Termini's nomination effectively placed the lead for ME negotiations with the Prime Minister's office and the Foreign Ministry, rather than with the Environment Ministry, which has the Italian lead on United Nations climate negotiations. It also provided a forum for coordination of economic and environmental policies related to climate change, since Termini was made Chair of an inter-agency technical-scientific committee for G8 energy and climate change issues, which included the Environment, Economic Development (Energy),Trade and Economy Ministries. The committee prepared a coordinated GOI position for the December 2007 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations. The Environment Minister served as the head of delegation to the UNFCCC meeting, while Termini served as a lead technical official. Growing Role of G8, European Policies Officials... -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) With the fall of the Prodi Government, Termini's role gradually faded away, as apparently did the energy/climate inter-agency committee. MFA Sous-Sherpa La Tella since has taken on the role of lead Italian representative for the ME process. (See ref c) for his views on potential 2009 ME meetings in Italy.) In light of Italy's 2009 G8 Presidency, both La Tella and G8 Sherpa Amb. Giampiero Massolo have set up G8 staffs, at the MFA and the Prime Minister's office, respectively. Both of these offices have experts on loan from the Environment Ministry and the private sector, who will assist with G8 environmental and energy issues, including climate change. In addition, in summer 2008 the MFA added ROME 00001415 002.3 OF 003 responsibility for non-nuclear energy issues to the environment and sustainable development portfolio held by Counselor Giovanna Piccarreta. ¶7. (SBU) At the same time, European Policies Minister Andrea Ronchi has emerged as the GOI's leading policy-level voice on the EU's "20-20-20" climate-energy package. Ronchi has led a "road show" around Europe, seeking support for Italy's requests for changes to the package to reduce its cost for Italian industry, which the GOI holds would cost Italy 40 percent more than the EU average. GOI inter-agency discussions on the package, which have dominated Italian climate-change policy-making in recent months, take place in the Inter-Ministerial Committee for European Community Affairs, CIACE (website: http://www.politichecomunitarie.it/attivita/? c=ciace),which PM Berlusconi or Minister Ronchi chairs. See ref d) for key changes that Ronchi is seeking in the EU package. ...but Environment DG Clini is still key -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Minister for the Environment and Territory and Sea Protection Stefania Prestigiacomo will head Italy's delegation to the ministerial-level portion of the December UNFCCC negotiations in Poznan, Poland, as did her predecessor in 2007. Environment Director General Corrado Clini, who normally attends only the ministerial UNFCCC session, but who is also Italy's technical lead for negotiating with the EU Commission on the costs of the 20-20-20 package, will be in Poznan for the full December 1-12 meeting, in order to be in close contact with all those involved in the EU negotiations (ref a)). Although Minister Ronchi was quoted in the press on November 11 as saying that Italy was likely to reach a satisfactory agreement with the EU on the 20-20-20 package by December 31, Post heard from a well-informed contact that same day that the negotiations were still at a very difficult point. Italy reportedly wants to avoid having PM Berlusconi block the package with a veto, but has not yet achieved enough in the negotiations to avoid that. -------------- Washington advocacy on climate change -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Q: To what extent are new ministries or foreign offices strengthening their embassies in Washington to represent views on climate change to the U.S. Executive Branch and Congress? A: Italy has not changed its Washington representation on climate change in the last 18 months. Long-time Italian Washington Embassy Science Attache Giorgio Einaudi commented that he has not engaged in recent climate-related outreach, because he has not received guidance from Rome on the Berlusconi Administration views on the EU climate/energy package and their relation (if any) to Italy's position on global climate negotiations. He anticipates that he will reach out to the new U.S. Administration on climate issues, once there is clearer definition within the Berlusconi Government on Italy's positions. -------------- - Contact from other embassies on climate change -------------- - ¶10. (U) Q: To what extent have your colleagues in other embassies sought you out to discuss the climate change issue or current and prospective U.S. policy on climate change? A: SCICouns recently was contacted by an Australian diplomat, who was seeking insight into the changes Italy is requesting in the EU climate/energy package. SCICouns also has been invited to events related to clean energy and climate at the Dutch and British Embassies. (The British Embassy has an active Green Embassy program, and has included Post Management Officers in their events.) In early 2008, the British Consulate in Milan urged AmConsulate Milan to formally endorse an "Energy-Saving Day" initiative, launched by the hosts of an Italian radio program, to coincide with the mid-February anniversary of the entry-into-force of the Kyoto Protocol. While the Mission did not formally endorse the initiative, the Embassy and three consulates did reduce lighting where possible (the main Energy-Saving Day observance suggested). ¶11. (U) The Embassy also issued a press release highlighting the Mission's Sustainability Initiative and noting the actions taken to express support for energy-saving. A 13 February 2008 centerfold piece on key foreign embassies in Rome, in leading business daily Il Sole-24 Ore, featured an interview with Ambassador Spogli that ROME 00001415 003.4 OF 003 included a description of the Mission's Sustainability Initiative. (The British Ambassador was not interviewed.) The Initiative also was featured in another story in leading daily Corriere della Sera; Post continues to get inquiries. Note: Post recently joined the League of Green U.S. Embassies. End note. Spogli