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Viewing cable 07BERLIN356, Minister Tiefensee's U.S. Visit - disappointment on Open

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07BERLIN356 2007-02-22 14:23 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Berlin
VZCZCXRO4742
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHRL #0356 0531423
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 221423Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7165
INFO RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHMT/AMCONSUL MONTREAL 0043
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS BERLIN 000356 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
State for EEB - John Byerly and EUR/AGS, EUR/ERA 
DOE PASS TO Ed Rossi, David Pumphrey 
AMCONSUL MONTREAL PLEASE PASS TO USICAO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR ENRG ICAO PREL GM
SUBJECT:  Minister Tiefensee's U.S. Visit - disappointment on Open 
Skies but encouraged on Energy Cooperation 
 
REF:  Berlin 177 
 
1.  (SBU) SUMMARY -- Ministry staff report German Minister of 
Transportation, Construction and Urban Affairs Wolfgang Tiefensee 
returned from his first official visit to Washington pessimistic 
about the future of the U.S./E.U. civil air agreement negotiations. 
Senior Ministry officials report Tiefensee and E.U. Transportation 
Commissioner Jacques Barrot were "disappointed" by what they saw as 
a lack of flexibility from the U.S. side regarding the agreement. 
The majority of E.U. member states continue to see the current 
version of the agreement as "imbalanced" and Ministry officials say 
it is unlikely that the agreement could get the necessary unanimous 
consent at the upcoming March E.U. Council of Ministers meeting. 
However, Tiefensee left the U.S. more optimistic about opportunities 
to cooperate on energy issues and felt the visit overall was a good 
one.  END SUMMARY 
 
2.  (SBU) Bernd Toerkel, Head of the Transportation Ministry 
Directorate A1, told Emboffs February 21 that German Minister of 
Transportation, Construction and Urban Affairs Wolfgang Tiefensee 
and E.U. Transportation Commissioner Jacques Barrot were 
disappointed by what they felt was unwillingness to add to the 
proposed CivAir package following the inability to deliver on the 
proposed rule change.  Tiefensee, acting in his EU Presidency 
capacity, and Barrot met with DOT Secretary Peters, House 
Transportation Committee Chairman Oberstar, and Senator Inouye among 
others February 5 and 6 on the civil air negotiations and initiated 
a new negotiating round.  The agreement, while not listed officially 
as a priority of the German E.U. Presidency, was a priority for the 
Tiefensee visit. 
 
3.  (SBU) EMIN reminded Toerkel of the additional points the USG had 
put forward in the February meetings as well as the benefits for 
Germany and other EU countries already contained in the proposed 
agreement.  Agreeing that both sides are acting under constraints 
with little room to maneuver, Toerkel expressed appreciation of U.S. 
proposals on antitrust immunity, safe harbors (which would resolve 
Lufthansa/Swiss problem), the 7th freedom, and expansion of carriage 
rights for USG-funded passengers to non-U.S. carriers. 
Nevertheless, Toerkel stated the majority of E.U. member states 
continued to see the current agreement as favoring the U.S.  The 
March E.U. Council of Ministers meeting will evaluate the results of 
the talks in terms of added value for E.U. member states and decide 
whether to accept the results.  In the view of the official, the 
necessary unanimous consent of the 27 member states to the agreement 
appears unlikely. 
 
4.  (SBU) At the same time, Tiefensee thought the results of the 
trip overall were positive.  Toerkel said the Minister especially 
pleased with the results of his discussions with Energy Secretary 
Bodman on the possibility of cooperation on energy issues.  Toerkel 
noted the good prospects for two workshops on climate change and 
energy policy in cooperation with the U.S. and felt that these might 
be deliverables for the U.S./E.U. summit.  Tiefensee also invited 
Energy Secretary Bodman to attend the G8 Energy Efficiency Congress 
in Berlin April 20-21. 
 
5. (SBU) On a further positive note, Toerkel expressed appreciation 
of DOT Under Secretary Shane's efforts to modernize the Paris-based 
European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) into a new 
leaner structure suited to handling global transportation issues in 
an expanded forum including business, industry and science.  The 
U.S. is an associate member.  Germany plans to organize and host a 
transportation conference using the new structure in Leipzig in May 
2008 to focus on energy for transportation from both the climate 
change and the economic perspective. 
 
6.  (SBU) EMIN also raised the EU discussions over including civil 
air transport in the EU's emissions trading scheme noting a 
statement the major players in the German aviation sector recently 
published against the Commission's proposal.  Transportation 
Ministry officials expect the issue to be on the agenda of the 
Spring Meeting of ICAO. 
 
7.  (U) Toerkel also noted that after promising talks with potential 
U.S. investors in the former East Germany, Tiefensee plans to return 
to the U.S. for the October 3 national holiday commemorating German 
unification to advance these discussions, including with potential 
investors in renewable energy. 
TIMKEN JR