BELGIUM: NO DECISION ON IRENA MEMBERSHIP

UNCLAS BRUSSELS 000881

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EEB/ESC MONOSSON, OES/EGC G THOMPSON, AND IO//EDA
R WEBBER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG KGHG SENV BE
SUBJECT: BELGIUM: NO DECISION ON IRENA MEMBERSHIP

REF: STATE 61286


1. (SBU) Econoff raised reftel points on June 25 with
Ambassador Philippe Nieuwenhuys, head of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs' energy unit. Nieuwenhuys said Belgium is
not yet in a position to join the International Renewable
Energy Agency (IRENA). Because of Belgium's political
system, the federal government must gain agreement with the
country's three regional governments -- Brussels, Flanders,
and Wallonia. However, the federal government was unable to
gain the regions' approval leading up to regional elections
that took place in early June 2009, and now must wait for the
regions to form new governments and name ministers before it
can reprise discussions. There is no way of knowing when the
regional governments will be formed, although conventional
wisdom is that it will be sometime later this summer or this
fall. Nieuwenhuys said that the federal government and
regional governments still need to work out the modalities
for representation at IRENA, as well as how to coordinate
regional and federal policies.


2. (SBU) Nieuwenhuys told econoff Germany had been pushing
hard on its neighbors, including Belgium, to join IRENA and
to support Germany's bid to host the Secretariat.
Nieuwenhuys also indicated that Belgium was still not
completely sure what IRENA's focus would be, although Germany
has told them that IRENA will focus on renewable energy
cooperation with developing countries. As Belgium's current
development assistance program has already been approved by
Parliament, with renewable energy cooperation not on the list
of approved projects or programs, Nieuwenhuys was unsure what
Belgium might be able to do at IRENA in the short term, even
if political agreement to sign is forthcoming.


3. (SBU) Nieuwenhuys appeared surprised that the USG was
supporting the United Arab Emirate's bid, but said he
understood France is also supporting the UAE. Belgium has
not decided which country to support, he said. Belgium will
have a three-person delegation at the IRENA meetings in
Egypt, he said -- one from the MFA, one from the Flemish
regional government, and someone from the Energy Deparment of
the federal government's Ministry of Economy.

BUSH
.