EU Diplomatic Representation in Third Countries ∗∗∗ DAVID RIJKS , Centre of International Studies, University of Cambridge Paper prepared for the GARNET Conference ‘The EU in International Affairs’ 24-26 April 2008 Please do not cite without permission. Comments welcome at
[email protected] Abstract The external representation of the European Union is a responsibility shared between Member States, the Council, and the European Commission. The result is a complex tripartite system that has created a variable geometry of tasks, responsibilities and functions across these actors in third countries. However, an increasing number of policy areas do not fall only within only one of Maastricht’s pillars, and the divisions between areas of competence have become more and more blurred. Legal provisions regarding diplomatic responsibilities are often open to interpretation and local arrangements for representation vary across third countries. This paper is an analytical attempt to chart the impact on the roles that Member Mtates, the Commission, and, increasingly, the Council play in the representation of the EU in third countries. While examining a number of specific (local) arrangements in greater detail, the purpose is to draw conclusions about the dynamic interplay between the three constituent dimensions and explore the options for change. The second part of this paper explores the consequences for the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, in particular the provisions on the European External Action Service. The argument is made that developments in national patterns of representation, together with the general mismatch between the regions where most Member States have a strong diplomatic presence and the areas where CFSP/ESDP activity is concentrated, has in a number of cases spurred the role of “EU actors” in EU diplomacy.