EU Special Representatives extended. But not indefinitely.
(BRUSSELS2) The various special representatives of the EU in the world will be extended by six months or a year. Their mandates due to end at the end of August (1), the decision should be adopted by 9 August by written procedure by the EU ambassadors on behalf of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the 27, on a proposal from the High Representative for the Foreign Affairs, Cathy Ashton.
Extension (provisional) for six months. Special Representatives for Macedonia - Fyrom (Irish Fouéré), Moldova (Hungarian Mizsei), Kosovo (Dutch Feith), Middle East (Belgian Otte), South Caucasus (Sweden Semneby) will only be renewed for six months (until February 28, 2011). They may not be renewed at this term. The extension of the mandate for six months is not the most common procedure indeed. The objective of the High Representative is, in fact, in the long term, to put an end to their mandate (2), to merge certain posts with the heads of EU embassies or the existence of other representatives at international level who more or less represent Europe. This is the case for the Middle East, where Tony Blair is a member of the Quartet, on behalf of the European Union.
Extension for 12 months. The other special representatives (Afghanistan (3), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Central Asia and Georgia, Great Lakes Region, Sudan, African Union) will be extended for one year (until August 31, 2011). With an unknown for Sudan, since its holder the Dane Torben Brylle, leaves his post (for the national embassy in Vienna). His successor will have the delicate task of leading European policy in the midst of political turbulence, with the referendum on the autonomy of South Sudan (Juba).
Discussion to continue. The High Representative has not succeeded in convincing the Member States to opt for a more radical option (and the faster abolition of certain posts). The slight delay in setting up the diplomatic service and the reluctance of member states to release one of their nationals without having the names selected for the other positions at stake explain this postponement. The negotiation on posts will thus be global between the thirty EU ambassadors who must be renewed in September as well as the first officials of the diplomatic service (the top ten) who must be appointed in October. To be continued...
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
(1) Read: EU Special Representatives confirmed, provisionally (+ portraits)
(2) Read: EU special representatives in the eye of the storm
(3) Recently appointed to this post, read: Lithuanian's appointment Usackas in Afghanistan confirmed
