EU MEMBER STATES APPEAR EXCITED ABOUT NBT, EVEN IF

UNCLAS BRUSSELS 001031 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EIND ENRG EUN EWWT KGHG SENV TPHY TRGY TSPL SUBJECT: EU MEMBER STATES APPEAR EXCITED ABOUT NBT, EVEN IF THEY DO NOT KNOW IT EXISTS REF: A. STOCKHOLM 202 ¶B. STATE 64364 ¶C. STOCKHOLM 399 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Sweden is moving forward with preparations to move the One Big Thing (OBT) initiative, which exists between Embassy Stockholm and the Government of Sweden to promote development of green technology through R&D and business partnerships, to the EU-level. Some Member States are already interested in such an effort, proposing comparable ideas without knowledge of the proposal to expand OBT. This interest should lend to wide support within the EU and to a successful launch. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) EU Member States, notably the new states since 2004, appear to be prepared and anxious to work with the United States on the Next Big Thing (NBT, a US proposal to highlight and spur transatlantic cooperation on green technologies thru the US-EU Energy Council, R&D cooperation and business partnerships; see reftels),even though they have little or no knowledge of the One Big Thing (OBT) in Sweden andduring the Swedish Presidenergy and environment offi Sweden for the inform Environment Ministers od to USEU EconOff a des United Stld deployment of new cle and in forming busine@ps with U.Ss searchingfor additional foreign investment and business-to-business partnerships. Both Poland andSlovakia echoed the interest in partnerships Qather than one-way transfers, with Poland sayin that its companies want bilateral engagement with U.S. businesses to work together to bringtechnologies available only in the United States to Poland. Both Poland and Slovakia havea wide range of interests, but both noted opportunities in energy efficiency as the cheapestpath to a low-carbon economy and in clean coa technologies. ¶4. (SBU) More advanced MemberStates are also interested in new partnerships. Germany made clear that transatlantic partnerships, both bilateral United States-Germany and United States-EU efforts, are important to transforming economies. Germany views both government-to-government and company cooperative projects as beneficial. German officials directly asked about U.S. plans to expand cooperation or to initiate opportunities for new private business partnerships. A Swedish WWF representative at the table then explained the concept of OBT, which German officials immediately indicated would be ideal to expand to Berlin. Finland separately also noted interest in further partnerships, including on specific issues such as biofuels cooperation. ¶5. (SBU) Comment. With Sweden,s apparent interest in expanding OBT EU-wide, and the EU,s focus on developing eco-efficient economies (the focal point of the Energy Ministers, meetings),NBT should have wide support across the EU. Several officials noted the public diplomacy benefits in the run-up to Copenhagen and beyond in addition to the mutual benefits of job creation and economic transformation. Embassy Stockholm,s meeting with State Secretary Altera will set the stage for next steps, and USEU will engage, along with the Swedish Presidency in Brussels, the European Commission. The expressed interest from several Member States will form a strong nucleus around which NBT can be developed. End comment. ¶6. (SBU) Embassy Stockholm cleared this cable. CHASE .