GETTING THE EU TO EXTEND AND REINFORCE ITS

C O N F I D E N T I A L USEU BRUSSELS 000568 SIPDIS NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2019 TAGS: MOPS MARR PREL EWWT XW XF EUN SUBJECT: GETTING THE EU TO EXTEND AND REINFORCE ITS COUNTER-PIRACY ACTIVITIES REF: A. SECSTATE 37014 ¶B. USEU BRUSSELS 527 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Christopher Murray for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C//NF) Summary. There is an emerging agreement among EU member states to extend the EU's naval operation off the coast of Somalia until December 2010. Discussions are moving beyond extending the mission to include addressing the root causes of piracy. We will have three opportunities in the coming weeks to influence the EU's thinking. The visit of the chairman of the EU Military Staff to Washington on April 23, the Somalia Donors' Conference on April 22-23 in Brussels, and a potential visit from a U.S. flag officer to Brussels in mid-May will allow us to encourage the EU to extend and reinforce its naval operation, to consider a security sector reform mission, and to plan donations to an international trust fund for pirate prosecution. End Summary. ¶2. (C//NF) On April 15, Swedish pol-mil counselor Inger Buxton, who will chair the EU's pol-mil working group under the Swedish EU Presidency, told PolOff there is general agreement among the member states to extend the EU's counter-piracy naval operation until December 2010. The operation currently comprises five frigates, three supply ships, and two maritime patrol aircraft (Comment: German ships that are part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group are temporarily under EU command while conducting counter-piracy operations. End Comment.) Official EU press releases and other press reports suggest member states are reinforcing the operation. A recently arrived French frigate captured 11 pirates this week, and the Spanish force commander announced that additional reinforcements will include a German maritime patrol aircraft and three Swedish ships. Buxton confirmed that Sweden would contribute two corvettes and a support ship for four months beginning on May 15. ¶3. (C//NF) Buxton told PolOff that discussion among member states now centers on additional EU capacity-building activities to address the root causes of piracy. She said the Council Secretariat has taken up the issue and will provide input to inform the debate among member states. (Comment: USEU provided member state and Secretariat contacts with information on U.S. funded capacity-building activities to ensure complementary efforts. End Comment.) She also suggested that the official discussion of these issues in EU working groups and among member state Ambassadors would begin in late April or early May. Sweden remains committed to organizing a meeting of EU Ambassadors, NATO Allies, and EU candidate states early in its EU Presidency. which begins July 1. ¶4. (C//NF) Our contacts are already inquiring about the Secretary's recent comments on combating piracy, and Admiral Mullen's public comments about the U.S. revisiting the counter-piracy strategy are sure to pique their interest. We will have the opportunity in the coming weeks to respond to their inquiries and to influence EU thinking before the member states reach consensus. Lt. Gen. David Leakey, chairman of the Brussels-located EU Military Staff, will visit Washington on April 23. The upcoming Somalia Donors' Conference, which takes place April 22-23 in Brussels, provides another opportunity. This will allow us to reinforce our commitment to coordinate military operations and capacity-building with the EU, and to press them to do more. Specifically, we should consider encouraging the EU to extend and reinforce its naval operation, to consider a security sector reform mission, and to plan donations to an international trust fund for pirate prosecution (REF A). ¶5. (C//NF) Another opportunity to reinforce these points will come in mid-May, just as the EU is taking up the issue of a mandate extension. Per REF B, the EU's operational commander, UK Rear Admiral Philip Jones, will visit Brussels on May 13 to discuss the operation. The Swedish mission's Buxton echoed REF B comments by UK contacts suggesting that a visit around the same time by a U.S. flag officer to discuss counter-piracy coordination would be another opportunity to encourage a robust, longer term EU naval presence, and to make recommendations on other capacity-building work. A meeting with a select group of EU Ambassadors and Secretariat planners would provide a venue to accomplish this goal. ¶6. (C//NF) In all of these meetings, we should also be prepared to respond to inquiries about reported U.S. plans for counter-piracy activities on land. In addition, when discussing military coordination, we should be prepared to address the state of intelligence sharing at the operational level. Per REF B, the UK-led operational headquarters may look to formalize an information sharing agreement if the EU extends its operation until December 2010. If a U.S. flag officer visits in May, we should be prepared to address this issue specifically. MURRAY .