(EU Special Representatives or EUSRs) «to promote European interests and policies in specific areas and countries» of the world and to have «an active role in the effort to consolidate peace, stability and respect for the law». There are nine at the moment.
The EU Special Representatives support the work of the EU High Representative and the Vice President in the regions concerned. The European Commission’s website states that these special diplomatic envoys “play an important role in developing a stronger and more effective EU foreign and security policy and in the Union’s efforts to become a more effective, more coherent and more effective actor”. capable on the world stage. They provide the EU with an active political presence in key countries and regions, acting as a ‘voice’ and ‘face’ for the EU and its policies.’
There are currently nine EU Special Representatives supporting Borrell’s work: in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Central Asia, the Horn of Africa, for Human Rights, Kosovo, the Middle East Peace Process, the Sahel, the South Caucasus and crisis in Georgia, Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and other regional dossiers of the Western Balkans.
The seat of EU Special Representative for the Middle East peace process for which Borrell chose the former Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has been occupied since 1 May 2021 by the Dutchman Sven Koopmans who has finished his office. Again on the Commission’s website, we read that the mandate of the EU Special Representative for the Middle East peace process “is to provide an active contribution to the final resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of a two-state solution, in line with the United Nations resolution 2334 of 2016”.
To this end, the Special Representative in the Middle East ‘maintains close contacts with all parties involved in the peace process, as well as with the United Nations and other relevant organizations such as the League of Arab States. He supports the work of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, on this issue and maintains an overview of all EU activities related to the Middle East peace process ».