The European Union Special Representatives (EUSR) are emissaries of the European Union with specific tasks abroad. While the EU's ambassadors are responsible for affairs with a single country, Special Representatives tackle specific issues, conflict areas or regions of countries. They answer directly to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, currently Josep Borrell.
Peter Sørensen took over the position of EUSR in Bosnia and Herzegovina with a mandate from 1 September 2011 until 30 June 2015. His post was de-coupled from the one of High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina (which remained in the hands of Valentin Inzko), aiming at fostering the EU pre-accession strategy for Bosnia and Herzegovina.[1] However, in November 2014, Sørensen became Head of the EU Delegation in Geneva, leaving the EUSR BiH post vacant.[2] Lars-Gunnar Wigemark was appointed as the EUSR in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1 March 2015 until 31 October 2015. His mandate was extended until 30 June 2018 and again until 31 August 2019. Johann Sattler replaced him in 2019, with a mandate from 1 September 2019 to 31 August 2023. His mandate was extended until 31 August 2024.[3] European Union Special Representative from 1 September 2024 until 31 August 2026 will be Luigi Soreca.[4]
Tomáš Szunyog was appointed as Special Representative in Kosovo on 30 July 2020.[5] His mandate runs from 1 September 2020 until 31 August 2023. His mandate was extended until 31 August 2024.[6]
See also: EU Strategy for the South Caucasus. Toivo Klaar was appointed Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia on 13 November 2017. His mandate was extended until 29 February 2020, and again until 28 February 2021. His mandate was again extended until 28 February 2022, and then again until 31 August 2022, and then again until 31 August 2023. and then until 31 August 2024.[7]
On 3 April 2020, Miroslav Lajčák was appointed by the EU Council as Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues. His 12-month mandate includes the tasks to achieve comprehensive normalisation of the relations between Serbia and Kosovo, improve good neighbourly relations and reconciliation between partners in the Western Balkans, helping them overcome the legacy of the past, and contribute to the consistency and effectiveness of EU action in the Western Balkans.[8] His mandate runs from 2 April 2020 until 31 August 2022. His mandate was renewed until 31 August 2024.
Terhi Hakala is the Special Representative for Central Asia.[9] Her mandate is to promote good relations between the EU and central Asian countries and to strengthen stability, cooperation, democracy and respect for human rights in the region. In particular, the EU Special Representative will co-ordinate EU action in central Asia and oversee the implementation of the EU Strategy for central Asia. Her mandate runs from 1 July 2021 to 28 February 2023. Her mandate was extended to 28 February 2025.
On 1 June 2023, Luigi Di Maio, former Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, was appointed Special Representative of the European Union for the Persian Gulf.[10] His aims will be to further develop a stronger, comprehensive and more strategic EU partnership with the countries in the Gulf region. He will also contribute to the stability and security of the region by engaging and supporting dialogue and long-term regional solutions with individual Gulf partners and relevant regional organisations.[11] His mandare runs until 28 February 2025.[12]
See also: Palestine–European Union relations. Sven Koopmans has been appointed Special Representative for the Middle East peace process. His mandate runs from 1 May 2021 until 28 February 2023. Between 2017 and 2021 "he was a Member of Parliament in the Netherlands, where he was spokesperson on foreign affairs and head of delegation in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly."[13] The mandate of the Special Representative is based on the EU's policy objectives regarding the Middle East peace process, which include a two-State solution with Israel and a democratic, contiguous, viable, peaceful and sovereign Palestinian State living side by side within secure and recognised borders enjoying normal relations with their neighbours in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions 242, 338, 1397 and 1402 and the principles of the Madrid Conference. His mandate was extended until 28 February 2025.
Annette Weber was appointed Special Representative for the Horn of Africa on 1 July 2021.[14] Her mandate runs until 31 August 2022. Her mandate was extended until 31 August 2024.
Emanuela Del Re was appointed as the Special Representative for the Sahel on 21 June 2021.[15] Her mandate runs from 1 July 2021 until 31 August 2022. Her mandate was renewed until 31 August 2024.
A long-standing request[16] for a representative that would be in charge of enhancing the effectiveness and visibility of EU's human rights policy, based on the Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy (officially adopted on 25 June 2012),[17] led to the creation of the post of the Special Representative of the European Union for Human Rights. The post, which is providing a strong, independent, flexible and sufficiently broad mandate, is aiming to cover fields such as the strengthening of democracy, International justice, humanitarian law and the abolition of the death penalty.
On 26 February 2024, Olof Skoog was appointed as the European Union Special Representative for human rights, with a mandate from 1 March 2024 until 28 February 2026.[18]
The table below is based on official sources provided by the EU.[19] [20]
| Scope | Representative(s) | Term(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Klaus-Peter Klaiber | 10 December 2001 – 30 June 2002 | |
| Francesc Vendrell | 1 July 2002 – 31 August 2008 | ||
| Ettore Francesco Sequi (also for Pakistan from 15 June 2009) | 1 September 2008 – 31 March 2010 | ||
| Vygaudas Ušackas | 1 April 2010 – 31 August 2013 | ||
| Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin (also EU Ambassador to Afghanistan) | 1 September 2013 – 31 August 2017 | ||
| African Great Lakes Region | Aldo Ajello (initially as Special Envoy) | 25 March 1996 – 28 February 2007 | |
| Roeland van de Geer (nl) | 1 March 2007 – 31 August 2011 | ||
| African Union | Koen Vervaeke | 6 December 2007 – 31 October 2011 | |
| Gary Quince (remains head of the EU Delegation to the AU) | 1 November 2011 – 30 June 2014 | ||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Lord Ashdown (also High Representative) | 3 June 2002 – 31 January 2006 | |
| Christian Schwarz-Schilling (also High Representative) | 1 February 2006 – 30 June 2007 | ||
| Miroslav Lajčák (also High Representative) | 1 July 2007 – 28 February 2009 | ||
| Valentin Inzko (also High Representative) | 1 March 2009 – 31 August 2011 | ||
| Peter Sørensen (also EU Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina) | 1 September 2011 – 31 October 2014 | ||
| Lars-Gunnar Wigemark (also EU Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina) | 1 March 2015 – 31 August 2019 | ||
| Johann Sattler (also EU Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina) | 1 September 2019 – present | ||
| Central Asia | Ján Kubiš | 28 July 2005 – 5 July 2006 | |
| Pierre Morel | 5 October 2006 – 30 June 2012 | ||
| Patricia Flor | 1 July 2012 – 30 June 2014 | ||
| Peter Burian | 15 April 2015 – 30 June 2021 | ||
| Georgia crisis | Pierre Morel | 25 September 2008 – 31 August 2011 | |
| Horn of Africa | Alexander Rondos | 1 January 2012 – 30 June 2021 | |
| Human rights (worldwide) | Stavros Lambrinidis | 1 September 2012 – 28 February 2019 | |
| Eamon Gilmore | 1 March 2019 - 29 February 2024 | ||
| Kosovo | Wolfgang Petritsch (Special Envoy) | 5 October 1998 – 29 July 1999 | |
| 4 February 2008 – 30 April 2011 | |||
| Fernando Gentilini | 1 May 2011 – 31 January 2012 | ||
| Samuel Žbogar | 1 February 2012 – 31 August 2016 | ||
| Nataliya Apostolova | 1 September 2016 – 31 August 2020 | ||
| Republic of Macedonia | 29 June 2001 – 29 October 2001 | ||
| Alain Le Roy | 29 October 2001 – 28 February 2002 | ||
| Alexis Brouhns | 30 September 2002 – 31 December 2003 | ||
| 26 January 2004 – 30 June 2004 | |||
| Michael Sahlin | 12 July 2004 – 31 August 2005 | ||
| Erwan Fouéré | 17 October 2005 – 31 August 2011 | ||
| Middle East peace process | Miguel Ángel Moratinos | 25 November 1996 – 31 May 2002 | |
| Marc Otte | 14 July 2003 – 28 February 2011 | ||
| Andreas Reinicke | 1 February 2012 – 31 December 2013 | ||
| Fernando Gentilini | 15 April 2015 – 30 June 2018 | ||
| Susanna Terstal | 18 September 2018 – 30 April 2021 | ||
| Moldova | Adriaan Jacobovits de Szeged | 23 March 2005 – 28 February 2007 | |
| Kálmán Mizsei | 1 March 2007 – 28 February 2011 | ||
| Sahel | Michel Reveyrand-de Menthon (fr) | 18 March 2013 – 31 October 2015 | |
| Ángel Losada Fernández (es) | 1 November 2015 – 30 June 2021 | ||
| South Caucasus | Heikki Talvitie | 1 July 2003 – 28 February 2006 | |
| Peter Semneby | 1 March 2006 – 28 February 2011 | ||
| Philippe Lefort (also for Georgia crisis) | 1 September 2011 – 30 June 2014 | ||
| Herbert Salber (also for Georgia crisis) | 1 July 2014 – 15 August 2017 | ||
| Royaumont Process | Panagiotis Roumeliotis (was already also the coordinator of the process of stability and good-neighbourly relations in Southeast Europe (the Royaumont Process)) | 31 May 1999 – 31 May 2000 | |
| Southern Mediterranean | Bernardino León | 18 July 2011 – 30 June 2014 | |
| (Special) Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe | 2 July 1999 – 31 December 2001 | ||
| Erhard Busek | 1 January 2002 – 30 June 2008 | ||
| Sudan | Pekka Haavisto | 18 July 2005 – 30 April 2007 | |
| Torben Brylle | 1 May 2007 – 31 August 2010 | ||
| Rosalind Marsden (also for South Sudan since 1 August 2011) | 1 September 2010 – 31 October 2013 | ||
| Federal Republic of Yugoslavia | 8 June 1998 – 11 October 1999 |