The Delegation of the European Union to the United States represents the European Union in the United States, working in coordination with the diplomatic and consular missions of all the EU Member States. It is located at 2175 K Street, N.W., in the West End neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
| Delegation of the European Union to the United States | |
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| Address | 2175 K Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°54′9.86″N 77°02′55.09″W / 38.9027389°N 77.0486361°W / 38.9027389; -77.0486361 |
Since March 2019, the Ambassador of the EU Delegation is Stavros Lambrinidis.[1] In April 2023, the Lithuanian diplomat Jovita Neliupšienė was announced as the next Ambassador, taking up duties in January 2024.[2]
The Delegation of the European Union presents and explains EU policy to both the U.S. administration and Congress. The Delegation also analyzes and reports on the political, social, and economic situation in the U.S., and acts as a liaison with other international organizations in Washington, D.C. Through its engagement with political actors, the media, academia, business circles, and civil society, the Delegation raises awareness of EU issues and concerns, and promotes the EU-U.S. relationship among the broader American public.[3]
The Delegation represents the EU in matters where the Member States have agreed that their interests be represented collectively, for example, in areas of customs and trade. In contrast, the Embassy of each EU Member State represents the bilateral interests of that nation in its dealings with the U.S. government, and in areas that are not under specific EU jurisdiction. All consular affairs are dealt with by individual Member States.[4] The Delegation also sponsors the European Union Centers of Excellence, a network of university programs dedicated to the study of the EU.
The European Union has had a permanent presence in Washington, D.C. since 1954, which served as the EU's first overseas representation. Since 1964, the EU has also maintained an office in New York, which now serves as the EU Delegation to the United Nations.[5]
At diplomatic events, the EU ambassadorship previously followed national ambassadorships; i.e., it sat "on par with the African Union", which is also not a country.[6][7] In 2016, the Obama administration promoted the EU precedence to country-level (but only the Europeans, and not any other non-nations). In 2018, the Department of State returned the EU ambassadorship to non-country level, "back alongside the African Union."[8][9] Jan Ehler, from Germany, Chairman of the EU parliamentary Delegation for Relations with the United States, complained of the EU being relegated to "the bottom of the list."[10] In March 2019, the Department of State restored the diplomatic status of the European Union back to the pre-2018 status reflecting the EU's status "as equivalent to that of a bilateral mission in the Diplomatic Corps Order of Precedence."[11]
Among the Delegation's former Ambassadors, three also served as their country's prime minister: Jens Otto Krag, Dries van Agt, and John Bruton, and one as their country’s foreign minister: Stavros Lambrinidis
Head/Deputy Head of Delegation
Administration
Economic & Financial Affairs
Food Safety, Health & Consumer Affairs
Political, Security & Development
Press & Public Diplomacy
Science, Technology & Education
Trade & Agriculture
Transport, Energy, Environment & Nuclear Matters
Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United States. In this capacity, he represents European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Charles Michel, under the authority of the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. As of 2011, the Delegation has approximately 80 permanent staff members, including 30 officials.
On September 29, 2010, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Catherine Ashton inaugurated the current EU Delegation to the United States.[13] The Delegation building was granted LEED Gold status by the U.S. Green Building Council.[14]
As a representative of an "international organisation", he is on par with the African Union Ambassador to Washington, Arikana Chihombori Quao.
O'Sullivan has been listed as the head of an international organization, along with the African Union.
No longer will the European Union be as exalted as equivalent to a country. Instead it will be back alongside the African Union
the bloc ambassador's status in Washington was upgraded to the level of a nation-state ambassador in September 2016, after a lengthy and intensive process by the State Department under former President Barack Obama.
had been relegated to "the bottom of the list," wrote German Christian Democrat Christian Ehler, the delegation's chairman