WRITTEN QUESTION E-2809/00 by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Council. Creation of European Union embassies.
Date: 2000-09-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: diplomatic profession, diplomatic representation, embassy, third country, vocational training

C 163 E/14

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2001

(2001/C 163 E/012)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2809/00

by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Council

(6 September 2000)

Subject: Creation of European Union embassies

I note that the European Commission is proposing that a College of European Diplomacy be set up
provide full-blown diplomatic training for European Union officials involved in external activities in
countries outside the European Union. I am informed that Member States with no diplomatic representa-
tions in third countries should use delegations from the European Commission, rather than have its own
diplomats.

So far as the United Kingdom is concerned, I want us to be represented only by British diplomats, not
those trained in a College of European Diplomacy. We want our own diplomats to defend our own
country(cid:146)s interests, and not rely on European Union diplomats.

Can the Council of Ministers give me a categoric assurance that under no circumstances will British
interests be represented by a diplomat from the European Union?

Would you please also tell me whether the European Union delegations intend to describe themselves as
(cid:145)European Union embassies(cid:146)?

Will you please also clarify for me whether the European Union intends to claim (cid:145)legal personality(cid:146) as
a nation in its own right?

Reply

(12 February 2001)

The Council has received no formal proposal from the Commission on the establishment of a (cid:145)College of
European Diplomacy(cid:146). However, a new (cid:145)European Diplomatic Programme(cid:146) for the training of diplomats at
European level was launched in Strasbourg on 9 September 2000.

The Council also took note, at its meeting on 9 and 10 October 2000, of the European Parliament
Resolution of 5 September 2000 on a common Community diplomacy.

As for Commission delegations in third countries, they represent the Commission and not the European
Union, and their powers are limited to the Community sphere. The Union is represented on CFSP matters
in third countries by the Presidency.
In third countries where the Presidency has no diplomatic
representation, the Union has been represented since 11 October 1997 by other Member States according
to very precise rules established by the Council.

The Union recognises the overall benefit for its external activities of possibly merging diplomatic missions
from the Member States and Commission delegations, but any decision to merge in such a way would
concern only those Member States who so wished and, where appropriate, the Commission. In this
context, a change in the name of national representations and embassies to (cid:145)European Union embassies(cid:146) is
not on the agenda.

In any case, every citizen of the Union in the territory of a third country in which the Member State of
which he is a national is not represented is entitled to protection by the diplomatic or consular authorities
of any Member State, on the same conditions as the nationals of that Member State.