54 "EU ambassadors" have received their mission orders (exclusive)

(BRUXELLES2) This is a note from Joao de Vale Almeida, the director of DG Relex, sent to all heads of delegation at the end of the year. It gives mission to 54 of them to carry out, from now on, in addition to their functions of head of delegation of the European Commission, the tasks of " representation, coordination and negotiation on behalf of the EU », instead of the rotating presidency. The host countries as well as the ambassadors of EU member countries present in the country have been informed.

Three general exceptions are planned :
1) When a bilateral or multilateral meeting is to be organised, it is the Spanish presidency that remains the representative of the EU until the meeting, with the head of delegation assuming the function of representation / coordination for the EU only after the summit. A valid rule including for some strategic delegations like Moscow, Washington or Tokyo, or "sensitive" like Tel Aviv (Israel), Tripoli (Libya) or Havana (Cuba).
2) The EU delegation concerns only the country in which the Head of Delegation is established, not the country(ies) which fall within his/her field of competence (for example, the Seychelles for the EC delegation of the EU). 'MAURITIUS ISLAND).
3) For some other delegations, it is the Spanish presidency that continues (Haiti, Iraq, Iran*, Mali). In this case, it is the Spanish presidency or the rotating presidency, according to the rotation organized by a decision of 2006 (1) which continues to exercise this function.

54 delegations. According to the information in the note, the following are concerned:
- most delegations from Central, South, West and East Africa (South Africa, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria , Uganda, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Chad, African Union, Zimbabwe....) - except the North African delegations -,
- some major delegations in Asia (Afghanistan, China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Timor Leste, Vietnam) and certain delegations in Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, etc.);
- 8 delegations in Europe (Norway, Switzerland, Fyrom - Macedonia, Serbia, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine).

* There is no EU Delegation in Tehran

(1) Rather complex system explained during the Czech Presidency (Who will represent the EU in the world: Czechs and others)
and which gives quite tasty performances. For example, in the first half of 2010, Germany represented the EU in North Korea and Cambodia; France in Seychelles, Comoros and Nepal; the United Kingdom in Belarus, Brunei and Tajikistan, Belgium in Congo (Brazzaville); Italy in Montenegro and Zambia; Bulgaria in Mongolia and Romania in Turkmenistan.