WORKING WITH THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 000133 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE DEPARTMENT PM FOR CAPT. JEFFREY FREDERICK, EEB FOR DORIS HAYWOOD, EUR FOR PETER CHISHOLM AND NATHANIEL DEAN, L FOR ASH ROACH, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FOR DAVID GORDNER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EWWT EAID PHSA PTER XI XO XW ZR EUN SUBJECT: WORKING WITH THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION ON COUNTER-PIRACY CAPACITY BUILDING: REQUEST FOR GUIDANCE REF: USEU BRUSSELS 1566 ¶1. (U) This is a request for guidance. See paragraphs 2 and 6. ¶2. (SBU) Summary: On January 22, USEU facilitated a videoconference with representatives of the European Commission to discuss the Critical Maritime Routes initiative, which is designed to provide capacity building support to combat piracy and other illegal maritime activities. The Commission is currently considering the recommendations of a team of experts dispatched to the Horn of Africa region late last year and is planning a validation workshop on March 9-10 to discuss these recommendations with EU Member States and regional states. USEU requests guidance on which focus areas we should encourage the Commission to pursue, whether the USG is considering a similar contribution to regional capacity building, and in which areas we might most profitably work together. End Summary. ¶3. (SBU) On January 22, USEU facilitated a videoconference with representatives of the European Commission to discuss the Critical Maritime Routes initiative. As reported REFTEL, the initiative will provide support to combat piracy and other illegal maritime activities in the Malacca Straits and the Horn of Africa regions, although our interlocutors acknowledge that the Horn of Africa is in particular need. In late 2008, a team of experts traveled to Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the IMO in London to assess the feasibility of particular project areas. That team has made a series of recommendations, which are now under discussion for inclusion in the Stability Instrument's Indicative Program for 2009-2011. After the Indicative Program is approved this spring, the External Relations Directorate-General will turn responsibility for implementation over to EuropeAid, another directorate of the Commission. EuropeAid will develop Annual Action Programs, guided by the recommendations of the Indicative Program. Planning should take place during the spring and summer, with implementation to begin in late 2009. The Indicative Program currently includes a budget for 2009-2011 of 14 to 18 million euros. ¶4. (SBU) The team of experts sent to the Horn of Africa region considered potential support in a number of areas, including: risk management, operational cooperation, legal frameworks, institution and capacity building, trainng and research, and the provision of equipmen. Under these broad categories, the Commission is contemplating a number of project ideas, including: establishing a network of regional research institutes to start an open system of information sharing on maritime safety and security; promoting the Container Traffic and Tracking System; supporting the establishment of a documentation and training center for the Horn of Africa; promoting the Marine Electronic Highway; providing Class B Automatic Identification System transponders for use on small ships; and facilitating cooperation and capacity building on hazardous and noxious substances. In addition, the Commission suggested that it could assist in the establishment of a regional agreement on countering piracy in the Western Indian Ocean. The EU role would be to provide know-how on issues such as maritime surveillance, satellite imagery, and container trafficking control. (The Commission is also considering using other BRUSSELS 00000133 002 OF 003 initiatives under the Stability Instrument to combat piracy finance and to stem human smuggling between Yemen and Somalia.) ¶5. (SBU) The Commission will hold a validation workshop on March 9-10 with representatives of Member States and the countries visited by the team of experts. This workshop will identify the most relevant recommendations of the experts, in addition to taking into account the outcomes of the IMP Djibouti Conference and of the UK-organized Sana'a Conference. ¶6. (SBU) Comment and request for guidance: The inclusion of the Critical Maritime Routes initiative in the Stability Instrument's Indicative Program should keep the EU involved in counter-piracy beyond the December 2009 end-date for Operation Atalanta. There is still time for us to influence the Commission's approach. While the Commission did not invite U.S. participation in the March 9-10 conference, USEU believes they would welcome our input before that conference convenes. USEU requests guidance on which focus areas we should encourage the Commission to pursue, whether the USG is considering a similar contribution to regional capacity building, and in which areas we might most profitably work together. USNATO representatives note that the Commission's initiative does not appear immediately to intersect with current NATO programs or initiatives, but recommend we continue to monitor this initiative and others for possible areas in which NATO and the EU could cooperate and benefit from each others' work. Both organizations share an interest in improving maritime situational awareness and counter-piracy capacity building in the Horn of Africa region, and NATO is continuing to examine what role it might play in this area. End Comment and request for guidance. ¶7. (U) Participants in the videoconference included: Robert Blackstone, USEU Political Section Margaret Caton, USEU Economic Section Kathleen Conway, USEU Customs and Border Protection Jeffrey Workman, USNATO Political Section Capt. (USN) James Russell, USNATO Office of the Defense Adviser Doris Haywood, Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs ¶J. Ashley Roach, Office of the Legal Adviser Peter Chisholm, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Nathaniel Dean, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Lt. Cdr. (USCG) Eric Huemme, Office of Global Maritime Situational Awareness Capt. (USN) Jeffrey Frederick, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Pierre Cleostrate, European Commission, DG for External Relations (RELEX) Torsten Woellert, European Commission, DG RELEX Maciey Golubiewski, European Commission, DG Development Dilarde Teilane, European Commission, DG RELEX Christian Dupont, European Commission, DG Transport and Energy (TREN) Michel Perolat, European Commission, DG TREN Louise Head, European Commission, DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Pierre Seailles, European Commission, DG RELEX BRUSSELS 00000133 003.2 OF 003 MURRAY .