The European Union Special Representatives (EUSR) are emissaries of the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

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 The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission (HR/VP) is the chief co-ordinator and representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) within the European Un ...

, currently Kaja Kallas.

Current SRs by region

Europe

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Peter Sørensen took over the position of EUSR in

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

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 The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was created in 1995 immediately after the signing of the Dayton Agreement which ended the 1992 to 1995 Bos ...

(which remained in the hands of Valentin Inzko), aiming at fostering the EU pre-accession strategy for Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, in November 2014, Sørensen became Head of the EU Delegation in Geneva, leaving the EUSR BiH post vacant. 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. Luigi Soreca is the current Special Representative, serving since 1 September 2024.

Kosovo

Tomáš Szunyog was appointed as Special Representative in

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

on 30 July 2020. His mandate runs from 1 September 2020 until 31 August 2023. His mandate was extended until 31 August 2024.

South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia

Toivo Klaar was appointed Special Representative for the

South Caucasus The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and West Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Armenia, ...

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. Magdalena Grono was appointed Special Representative on 1 November 2024.

Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues

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 The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

, helping them overcome the legacy of the past, and contribute to the consistency and effectiveness of EU action in the Western Balkans. His mandate runs from 2 April 2020 until 31 August 2022. His mandate was renewed until 31 August 2024.

Asia

Central Asia

Terhi Hakala is the Special Representative for

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

. 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.

Gulf

On 1 June 2023,

Luigi Di Maio Luigi Di Maio (; born 6 July 1986) is an Italian politician who has been serving as European Union Special Representative, EU Special Representative for the Persian Gulf, Gulf region since 1 June 2023. Di Maio also served as Italian Minister of ...

, former Italian

Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...

, was appointed Special Representative of the

for the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

. 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. His mandate initially run until 28 February 2025, but, in January 2025, Borrell's successor Kaja Kallas confirmed Di Maio as Special Representative for two more years.

Middle East

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." 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 Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

and a democratic, contiguous, viable, peaceful and sovereign

Palestinian State Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, collectively known as th ...

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.

Africa

Horn of Africa (incl. the region of Sudan)

Annette Weber was appointed Special Representative for the

Horn of Africa The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004), ...

on 1 July 2021. Her mandate runs until 31 August 2022. Her mandate was extended until 31 August 2024.

Sahel

João Gomes Cravinho was appointed as the Special Representative for the

Sahel The Sahel region (; ), or Sahelian acacia savanna, is a Biogeography, biogeographical region in Africa. It is the Ecotone, transition zone between the more humid Sudanian savannas to its south and the drier Sahara to the north. The Sahel has a ...

on 18 November 2024, succeeding Emanuela Claudia Del Re, whose mandate started in June 2021. His inititial mandate will run for 21 months, until 31 August 2026.

Global

Human Rights

A long-standing request for a representative that would be in charge of enhancing the effectiveness and visibility of EU's

human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

policy, based on the Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy (officially adopted on 25 June 2012), 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.

Previous SRs

The table below is based on official sources provided by the EU.

References

External links

Official list of EU Special Representatives

Official list of current EU Special Representatives

Exploring EU Foreign Policy, the EUSR
Leuven Catholic University * Giovanni Grevi
The EU Special Representatives
Chaillot Paper nb. 106, Institute for Security Studies of the European Union, Paris, 2007 * Cornelius Adebahr
Working inside out: what role for Special Envoys in the European External Action Service?
EPC Policy Brief, January 2011 * Dominik Tolksdorf
The Role of EU Special Representatives in the post-Lisbon foreign policy system: A renaissance?
IES Policy Brief, Brussels, June 2012 {{Portal bar, European Union, Politics Ambassadors of the European Union Special Representatives Special Representative