WRITTEN QUESTION E-2810/00 by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Council. Representation at the United Nations.
Date: 2000-09-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, European Union, UNO, legal status, the EU's international role

18.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/181

other Member State and the intention of the person concerned as it appears from all circumstances (2). It is
then for the national institution or court to apply those criteria to the case before it.

(1) Last consolidated version: Council Regulation ((EC) No 118/97 of 2 December 1996 OJ L 28, 30.1.1997) amending
and updating Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 of 14 June 1971 on the application of social security schemes to
employed persons, to self-employed persons and to members of their families moving within the Community
(OJ L 149 of 5.7.1971) and Regulation (EEC) No 574/72 laying down the procedure for implementing Regulation
(EEC) No 1408/71 of the Council of 21 March 1972 (OJ L 74, 27.3.1972 modified by OJ L 28, 30.1.1997).

(2) Case C-102/91 Doris Knoch v. Bundesanstalt f(cid:252)r Arbeit [1992] ECR I-4341.

(2001/C 113 E/192)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2810/00

by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Council

(6 September 2000)

Subject: Representation at the United Nations

Will the Council of Ministers please inform me whether the European Union has any plans to seek status
as a nation, or any other representative status, at the United Nations?

Will the Council of Ministers please inform me of the precise diplomatic status of any European Union
representatives at the United Nations?

Reply

(30 November 2000)

1.
Regarding the status of the European Union at the United Nations, the United Nations Charter
provides for member status for States only. Thus the fifteen Member States of the European Union are full
members of the United Nations. The European Union as such has no legal status within the United
Nations. The European Community, for its part, has observer status at the United Nations General
Assembly. It thus has a permanent invitation from the organisation to take part as an observer in the
sessions and proceedings of the General Assembly and has a permanent office at the Organisation(cid:146)s
Headquarters. It is represented there by the Presidency and the Commission.

2.
The Union is playing an increasing political role in the United Nations. Article 19 of the TEU
stipulates that Member States are to coordinate their action in international organisations and at
international conferences and to uphold common positions in such fora. In line with the provisions of
the Treaty on European Union, the Presidency and, within the limits of its powers, the Commission,
coordinate Member States(cid:146) positions. The Presidency presents the European Union(cid:146)s positions in the
various UN bodies and introduces an increasing number of initiatives on the Union(cid:146)s behalf. The European
Union is not proposing to seek membership status at the United Nations; indeed, the United Nations
Charter rules this out.

3.
Regarding the status of European Union representatives at the United Nations, Member States of the
European Union (cid:129) including of course the State holding the Presidency (cid:129) like all members of the United
Nations, are represented at
the United Nations by their permanent representatives. The European
Commission has a delegation in New York and the General Secretariat of the Council set up a Liaison
Office there in 1994. For practical and legal reasons in the United States, the delegation and the office (cid:129)
while representing separate entities housed in separate premises (cid:129) are currently accredited jointly with the
Organisation and the host country as the European Community.

Under the third paragraph of Article 1 of the Treaty on European Union, (cid:145)the Union shall be founded
4.
on the European Communities, supplemented by the policies and forms of cooperation established by this
Treaty(cid:146). Thus, following the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty, the European Community informed
the United Nations Secretariat that it now forms part of the European Union established by the Treaty on
European Union.