One of the changes most visible on the ground abroad, as the European External Action Service (EAS) comes into force, will be a shake-up among the EU’s special representatives (EUSRs). There are currently 11 such envoys, but sources close to High Representative Catherine Ashton say half are likely to be cut as the Union’s new heads of delegation take on roles previously covered by the EUSRs in some locations. The way they work will also change, with the special representatives enjoying less autonomy from Brussels and greater budget transparency.

As the former Commission delegations make the transition to representing the entire Union, one of the Council’s key motivations for deploying EUSRs will evaporate. Previously, the Council had used the envoys to give them a link to strategic areas where they had no other representative. A source close to Ashton explained: “In the case of Afghanistan, they had one because there was no footprint there for the Council”. This will be as much of a change for the heads of delegation, whose job descriptions are getting longer this year, as it is for the EUSRs themselves, whose remits in some cases would consequently be shrinking.

As part of the harmonisation of posts, the new EU Representative in Kabul, Vygaudas Usackas, will also be playing the ‘double-hatted’ role of both EUSR and head of the EU’s delegation there.

As many of the posts were created in response to crises or conflicts, their review will also take into account whether the special circumstances under which they were created still merit an envoy.

The most likely envoys to remain are those who address cross-border issues and whose jobs would therefore be difficult to hand over to single heads of delegations. This means the special representatives currently stationed in Africa, such as in the Great Lakes region, are likely to hold on to their posts. Single nation envoys, such as the one to Moldova, are more likely to be made redundant.

“In Africa, where national borders bear little relation to problems, the issues tend to be regional or cross border, because of the way the borders were drawn up, so you can see the case for a regional approach,” he explains. “They wouldn’t be able to have that delivered from a head of delegation sitting in one of those capitals because they don’t actually reflect the geography of the problem,” he adds. He emphasises, however, that the review will take each case individually and that although Ashton’s general inclination is to reduce the number “by about half,” she retains the capacity to create new such posts in future.

For those EUSR missions that survive the cut, there will still be changes. As Ashton’s Advisor Poul Christoffersen explains, she intends to build more transparency into the EUSR system. “For the moment, running an EUSR operation is kind of a private enterprise, where you get a sack of money and then you hire your own people,” he explained. Under Ashton’s plans, budget management and hiring of employees in EUSR missions are likely to be more closely monitored, if not controlled, by the EAS in Brussels.

Current EUSRs

Kosovo:Pieter Feith was appointed on 4 February 2008, until 28 February 2011. He supports Kosovo’s political process and coordinates the EU’s work there, aiming to develop a “stable, viable, peaceful democratic and multi-ethnic Kosovo” 

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia:Erwan Fouéré’s mandate, which runs from 17 October 2005 to 31 August 2011, is to contribute to the FYROM’s European integration and support its political stability through the Ohrid Framework Agreement 

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Valentin Inzko was appointed on 11 March 2009. His term was renewed in August 2010 for a further year. He is expected to help Bosnia make progress towards a “stable, viable, peaceful and multi-ethnic BiH, cooperating peacefully with its neighbours and irreversibly on track towards EU membership”

Sudan: Rosalind Marsden was hired for a year from 11 August 2010. She is tasked with helping Sudan move towards stable peace and reconciliation, working with the Sudanese parties, the African Union (AU) and the United Nations and other national, regional and international organisations

Moldova:Kálmán Mizsei was ppointed on 15 February 2007, until 28 February 2011. His objectives include contributing to a peaceful settlement of the Transnistria conflict and improving border and customs controls along Moldova and Ukraine’s border, particularly along the Transnistria section, with an EU border mission

Central Asia and the Georgian crisis: Pierre Morel took office on 5 October 2006 and will stay until 31 August 2011. He aims to promote good regional relations, democracy, law, good governance and human rights. He was also appointed on 25 September 2008 EU special representative for the crisis in Georgia. In this capacity, he helps prepare for the international talks to be held under the settlement plan of 12 August 2008 and supports the efforts to implement the agreement

Middle East: Marc Otte became the EUSR for the Middle East peace process on 14 July 2003 and will remain in his post until 28 February 2011. His work promotes the two-state solution with a “democratic, viable, peaceful and sovereign Palestinian state living side-by-side with Israel within secure and recognised borders”

South Caucasus: Peter Semneby took office on 20 February 2006. His mandate runs until 28 February 2011 and involves assisting Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia’s political and economic reforms and preventing and settling conflicts in the region

Afghanistan: Vygaudas Usackas was appointed to a new ‘double-hatted’ position as the European Union’s head of delegation and special representative in Afghanistan from 1 April 2010. His mandate, which runs until 31 August 2011, is to promote EU policy objectives in Afghanistan

Great Lakes Region: Roeland van de Geer, appointed on 14 February 2007, concentrates his efforts on the stabilisation of the African Great Lakes countries, notably the post-transition phase in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and supporting democracy in Burundi

African Union: Koen Vervaeke, of Belgium, has held this post based in Addis Ababa since 6 December 2007, coordinating between the African and European Unions. His mandate runs until 31 August 2011.