EEAS launches EUDA, the European Union Diplomatic Academy

Since the launch of a two-phase pilot project in September 2022, almost 100 young diplomats and officials have taken part in the intensive and interactive training programme, run in partnership with the College of Europe in Bruges (Belgium) and Natolin (Poland). The success of the pilot project has underlined the importance of training national diplomats and EU officials by means of a dedicated, long-term structure.

The EUDA will work under the responsibility of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. It will also receive guidance by a Steering Committee composed of one representative appointed by each member state, as well as representatives from the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission.

The EUDA programme will continue to be implemented by the College of Europe in Bruges and Natolin, and directed by Federica Mogherini, current Rector of the College of Europe in Bruges, and former EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy.

The annual EUDA programme will be conducted in two separate editions of five months each, including a one-month placement period in the EEAS. Approximately 40 junior diplomats from EU Member States and the EU institutions have been selected by their respective administrations to take part in the EUDA programme in the academic year 2024/25.

The first group will be trained from September 2024 to January 2025. The programme kicked off on 29 August at the College of Europe campus in Natolin and will continue at the campus of the College of Europe in Bruges. The second edition will run from February to June 2025, with the segment of the programme spent in Natolin.

The programme will again be held again in a residential format in Bruges, with the aim of allowing the participants to live, study and work together, thus contributing to networking and to the formation of an esprit de corps.For both editions, participants will benefit from a one-month training assignment at the EEAS Headquarters in Brussels.

The programme covers nine thematic areas on subjects in the field of the Union’s external action, in particular the CFSP, as well as on the Union’s role as a global actor and in multilateral relations. Participants also receive practical training on relevant diplomatic skills such as negotiation, communication, leadership, decision-making and other processes, political reporting, and protocol. Participants will be trained with the objective of acquiring the necessary skills and competencies to effectively promote and defend the EU’s values and interests in the world.

The courses will be complemented by frequent study visits to the European institutions in Brussels, as well as to other international organisations of relevance to European external action and foreign and security policy, such as NATO.

Source – EEAS

What is the objective of the European Union Diplomatic Academy?

The objective of the European Union Diplomatic Academy (EUDA) is to ensure the consistent provision of academic and practical training on policies, procedures and diplomatic practices in the field of EU external action, in particular the CFSP, to Member States’ diplomats and EU institutions’ staff members working in the field of external relations, in order to develop and promote a common understanding of the EU’s role in the world, as well as to disseminate best practices in relation to the conduct of EU diplomacy, while promoting the spirit of a ‘European diplomatic corps’.

What is the added value of a European Union Diplomatic Academy when national diplomats already receive training in their Ministries?

The EUDA complements national diplomatic training programmes by bridging the gap in EU knowledge and understanding. Rather than replacing or duplicating what is done at the national level, the EUDA focuses on the development of an in-depth understanding of the complex decision-making and policy-making mechanisms in the EU, and the specific skills necessary to conduct European diplomacy. This prepares a critical mass of European diplomats to become immediately operational when posted in Brussels or in their national structures, dealing with EU matters and addressing its strategic challenges.

The EUDA also aims to create a truly common European diplomatic culture within the EU, thereby bridging any potential cultural divide. The residential aspect of the programme allows participants to live, study and work together, thus contributing to networking and to the formation of a true esprit de corps.

How is the EUDA funded?

While the Pilot Project of the European Diplomatic Academy was funded under the general budget of the EU, the EUDA is funded via the CFSP budget, with a grant agreement signed between the grant beneficiary (the College of Europe) and FPI. 

The overarching objectives of the EUDA are essentially CFSP objectives: to promote a common European diplomatic culture within the EU and thereby ultimately strengthen the EU’s role as an effective foreign policy actor, via training on policies, procedures and diplomatic practices in the field of the EU external action, including an emphasis on the CFSP.

Who will carry out the programme of the European Union Diplomatic Academy?

Following the successful implementation of the first and second phases of the Pilot Project towards the establishment of a European Diplomatic Academy, the College of Europe (in Bruges, Belgium, and in Natolin, Poland) was identified as the best-suited institution to implement the training programme of the EUDA.

Why the College of Europe will implement the programme?

The College of Europe offers the high-level academic excellence and expertise from practitioners necessary to develop a European diplomatic standard of excellence among officials from Member States and Union institutions, and to achieve the EUDA’s objectives. Situated in close proximity to Brussels, it has a wide network covering the key EU institutions, international organisations, think tanks, and other stakeholders involved in the European project. Federica Mogherini, current Rector of the College of Europe in Bruges and former EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, will continue as Director of the programme.

Article 5 of the Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/1472 on the EUDA stipulates that the College of Europe, as grant beneficiary, will implement the education and training activities of the EUDA for an initial period of 4 academic years (from 2024-2025 to 2027-2028), following which the Council Decision and choice of grant beneficiary shall be reviewed.

How will the EUDA programme 2024/25 run?

The EUDA programme in the academic year 2024/25 will run along the lines of the latest, second pilot phase of the European Diplomatic Academy programme – conducted in two separate editions of five months each, with both including a practical training segment in the EEAS.

The first edition began on 29 August 2024 in Natolin (Poland), and includes 10 days of team-building exercises and visits to the Polish-Ukrainian border. The participants will then move to Bruges for the core course. It will be hosted at the campus of the College of Europe in Bruges, ideally located in the heart of Europe and close to Brussels. In January 2025, participants of the first edition will begin a one-month training assignment at the EEAS Headquarters in Brussels.

The second edition will begin in February 2025 with four months of core courses in Bruges, followed by a one-month training assignment at the EEAS Headquarters, and the final segment of the programme spent in Natolin.

What does the course cover?

The syllabus covers the core issues concerning EU foreign and security policies, and EU external action overall, as well as the EU’s role as a global actor and its multilateral relations. The teaching methodology emphasises the practical application of concepts and skills, through frequent simulation and role exercises. About 80% of the lecturers are practitioners (including senior EEAS officials) and the remainder are scholars. Classroom teaching in Bruges is complemented by study visits to the European institutions in Brussels, as well as Member States’ representations and other organisations of relevance to European external action and foreign and security policy, such as NATO.

Who will participate in the EUDA programme? How were participants selected?

As during the Pilot Project, the EUDA programme is open to junior diplomats from EU Member States and officials from the EU institutions (EEAS, European Commission, General Secretariat of the Council of the EU, European Parliament).

Participants were nominated by Member States and the EU institutions, from amongst officials in their junior grade. This year, about 40 junior diplomats from EU Member States and the EU institutions have been selected to participate in the two separate five-month programme editions.

What will happen to diplomats who participate in the EUDA programme and how will it affect their career prospects?

Completing the EUDA does not guarantee a position in the EEAS, which does not offer a job upon completion of the training. However, diplomats trained under the programme gain a unique set of skills and the necessary knowledge to work at the European level. It significantly increases their chances of success when applying for vacancies at the EEAS, at the EU Delegations or at the EU institutions. It will also help them to be immediately operational when assigned at the Permanent Representations of Member States to the EU or at any other national position dealing with European and EU affairs.

Source – EEAS