Brussels, 26.08.2022
The European External Action Service (EEAS) is taking a new step towards building a stronger common European diplomacy and European foreign policy.
The EEAS is starting a pilot project to establish a fully-fledged European Diplomatic Academy. 42 young European diplomats have been selected to participate in a 9-month programme that will kick off on 29 August in the campus of the College of Europe in Natolin (Poland).
They will be trained on EU foreign and security policies, with the objective of acquiring skills and competencies to promote and defend effectively the EU’s principles and interests in the world.
“In a more challenging world with complex crises, the EU needs to have a stronger diplomatic voice. We need more well trained diplomats ready to contribute to the world’s politics. We are establishing the European Diplomatic Academy with the aim to create a truly European diplomatic corps that will further strengthen our European global action”, said Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, announcing the initiative.
After an initial team building period of two weeks in Natolin, the core programme will be hosted at the campus of the College of Europe in Bruges (Belgium). It will be complemented by regular study visits to the European institutions in Brussels, as well as to Organisations of relevance to European external action and foreign and security policy, such as NATO.
It will focus on 10 study areas and will include the following training formats: group work, simulation games/role plays, case studies, written and oral presentations, classroom discussions and debates, fire-side chats, individual exercises and E-learning.
Participants come from the EU Member States, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Turkey, the Western Balkan countries and EU institutions. The programme will be held in a residential format, with the aim of allowing the participants to live, study and work together throughout the academic year, thus contributing to networking and to the formation of an esprit de corps.
Background:
Financed by a budget allocation of €990.000, upon initiative by the European Parliament and developed by the EEAS, the pilot project foresees two steps: a pilot academic programme and a feasibility study.
The pilot programme will be run by the College of Europe in Bruges and the College of Europe in Natolin. It will be led by Federica Mogherini, current Rector of the College of Europe in Bruges and former EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy.
The feasibility study will be prepared by the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA), the European University Institute (EUI) and the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS). It will be presented in November and will outline various options as well as the budgetary framework for the establishment of the future European Diplomatic Academy.
The EEAS, through the funding provided by the European Parliament, will cover the tuition fee for the entire programme, as well as a scholarship for each participant to cover transport, boarding and lodging expenses.
More information:
European Diplomatic Academy Project – Q&A
Source – EEAS