EU MEMBERS WELCOME NATO COUNTER-PIRACY MISSION, WITH U.S. FORCE COMMITMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L USEU BRUSSELS 000751 NOFORN SIPDIS PASS TO NAVCENT POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2019 TAGS:MOPS, MARR, PREL, EWWT, XW, XF, EUN SUBJECT: EU MEMBERS WELCOME NATO COUNTER-PIRACY MISSION, WITH U.S. FORCE COMMITMENT REF: USNATO 202 Classified By: Pol M-C Christopher Davis for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C//NF) Summary: Over the past few weeks, several EU-based diplomats and military officers from key Allies as well as EU officials have told USEU that they see room for both NATO and the EU to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia. They add, however, that the NATO counter-piracy force, to add value and not divide the "single pool of forces," should come from states not participating in the EU naval operation, End Summary. ¶2. (C//NF) On May 27 and 28, including during a meeting with USEU and the NAVCENT PolAd on May 28, two representatives of the German EU military delegation argued that NATO should bring "added value" to international counter-piracy efforts. Before the meeting, German navy Captain Hans-Joerg Detlefsen told PolOff that European Allies do not want to see NATO be unable to launch an operation, but noted that the U.S. has not yet suggested that it would itself make a strong force commitment to a NATO mission. In separate conversations on May 27 and 28, both Detlefsen and the German delegation's Lt. Col. Michael Schlechtweg told USEU that they believed a NATO operation should not divide Europe's "single pool of forces" by competing for naval contributions. ¶3. (C//NF) Over the past two weeks, key Allied country and EU officials have told USEU that the EU perceives space for both NATO and the EU to engage in counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia, and that they expect that the U.S. will be a major contributor to any NATO operation. The Pol-Mil Counselor at the French mission hs underlined to different USEU officers on several separate occasions that France welcome a NATO counter-piracy contribution provided it brings "additional capabilities" to bear. Those additional capabilities, he said, should come from non-EU members such as the United States, Canada, and Turkey, and Denmark, an EU Member State that does not participate in EU military operations. ¶4. (C//NF) At the same time, our contacts say NATO should not look to EU Member States to commit forces to a NATO counter-piracy operation, since the EU already has an ongoing operation with the necessary command and legal arrangements. The head of military operations and exercises in the EU Council Secretariat has repeatedly told USEU that a NATO operation makes sense if it brings "new capabilities, not just a new organization's flag" to the counter-piracy fight. On May 20, the Swedish Pol-Mil Counselor told PolOff that Sweden hopes to avoid competition over forces, information sharing, or any other issues. (Note: Sweden will take over the EU Presidency in July. End Note.) ¶5. (C//NF) Comment: While constraints on forces and budgets are factors in mounting any counter-piracy operation, representatives of some EU Member States, at least, are signaling their commitment to keeping Operation ATALANTA afloat. End Comment. MURRAY