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.
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]
Dries van Agt, Ambassador of the European Union to the United States from 1 January 1989 until 1 April 1995.
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
Serves as official representative of the EU to the U.S.
Administration
Provides support services for the Delegation staff, building and residences
Consults with authorities in the European Commission and the U.S. on all protocol and administrative matters related to EU officials
Economic & Financial Affairs
Monitors and assesses U.S. economic performance
Liaises with U.S. authorities dealing with economic, financial, and monetary issues
Corresponds with the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and Multilateral Development Banks in areas of interest to the EU
Food Safety, Health & Consumer Affairs
Facilitates relations with the U.S. administration, U.S. Congress, industry and consumers in the above-mentioned areas
Political, Security & Development
Maintains contact with the U.S. administration and Congress on foreign, security, and development policy, counter-terrorism, justice and home affairs, and issues relating to human rights
Press & Public Diplomacy
Focuses on raising awareness of the EU in the U.S.
Maintains contact with U.S. media outlets and provides them with information and analyses of EU developments, positions, and statistics
Offers outreach grants for universities, think tanks, and NGOs
Produces and distributes information materials, maintains the Delegation's website, and deals with public inquiries
Organizes speaking tours and cultural events
Science, Technology & Education
Maintains relations with U.S. authorities at the Federal and State levels, research universities, national laboratories and the high tech industry
Processes information for the European Commission in Brussels and Luxembourg pertaining to trends in science, technology, and education
Trade & Agriculture
Monitors trade and regulatory developments in the U.S.
Maintains relations with the U.S. administration, Congress, and NGOs
Transport, Energy, Environment & Nuclear Matters
Analyzes U.S. political, economic and regulatory developments in the areas of transportation, energy, and environment[12]
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]
^Michael Knigge (8 January 2019). "Trump administration downgrades EU mission to US". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 10 January 2019. 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.
^"EU lawmakers decry Washington downgrading of EU ambassador". Deutsche Welle. 9 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019. had been relegated to "the bottom of the list," wrote German Christian Democrat Christian Ehler, the delegation's chairman
