Cablegate: Spain On Oecd Decision-Making Reform Proposal

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS MADRID 000859

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EB AND EUR/ERA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETRD SP OECD
SUBJECT: SPAIN ON OECD DECISION-MAKING REFORM PROPOSAL

REF: SECSTATE 53981

1. We raised the USG reform proposal on decision-making with
the MFA's Director General for International Economic
Relations German Bejarano. He described Spain as strongly in
favor of a reform on decision-making in the OECD. Bejarano
criticized the lack of leadership evinced by the Secretary
General in failing to forge consensus on priorities and the
elimination OECD bodies that no longer made sense.

2. Bejarano said the Spanish government is seriously
studying the US proposal. In general, it coincides with the
direction Spain believes the reform should take, though
clearly smaller OECD states will be instinctively concerned
about any proposal that eliminates consensus, very
reminiscent of other debates currently going on in Europe.
He cautioned that this was a preliminary reaction which had
yet to be vetted on the interministerial level. With
elections scheduled March 14, an interministerial meeting to
consider the proposal would be unlikely until just before the
ECSS meeting. Also, with anticipated changes in the
political level of relevant ministries, Bejarano doubted that
Spain would come to the ECSS able to voice a well-defined
position. He promised a readout of interministerial
deliberations.

3. Bejarano currently plans to attend the March 29-30 ECSS.

ARGYROS

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