Commission to propose EU consular offices abroad
The European Commission is next week (28 November) to adopt proposals to set up EU "common offices" for consular aid in a bid to reach out to European citizens in trouble around the globe - but the plans are likely to spark controversy as they appear reminiscent of provisions in the EU constitution.
With the paper on "diplomatic and consular protection of the Union's citizens in third countries," Brussels is responding to recent crisis situations like the 2004 Tsunami and last summer's Lebanon war which saw big numbers of Europeans in need of urgent help or evacuation.
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In a so-called draft "green paper" - designed to stimulate consultation and debate - Brussels highlights that there are only three countries in the world - the US, Russia and China - where all 25 EU member states have consular representations.
When the Tsunami hit Thailand, only 17 member states had an office there, while Sri Lanka only hosted six countries' representations - prompting the commission to propose the creation of "common offices" which should offer services to EU citizens lacking consular representation in a third country.
The paper suggests the offices could be located either in member states' embassies or in commission representations and would help Europeans out in various types of trouble, ranging from lost passports to financial aid and repatriation.
The draft says the proposed offices would ensure the "coherence" of EU action while at the same time "save fixed costs" for member states' consular services, with diplomats saying the proposal is likely to be welcomed by smaller member states lacking consular resources themselves.
But the idea is also likely to spark controversy as it could be seen in some quarters as reminiscent of the EU consular service which was included in the frozen EU constitution.
In the commission paper, the "common offices" plan is linked to proposals made by Brussels last June which revived the EU diplomatic service idea, such as the exchange of diplomatic personnel and common diplomatic training schemes. The "common offices" could also in the longer term issue EU visas and the legalisation of documents, according to the draft.
The UK in particular has voiced great unease with the EU diplomatic service notion, with former foreign minister Jack Straw famously saying "you find all sorts of odd-bods from the EU running various sorts of odd offices around the world" just before the EU constitution was agreed in 2004.
EU treaty in passports
In the paper, the commission also proposes the inclusion in all national passports of a label reproducing the text of Article 20 of the EU's Nice Treaty, which stipulates citizens' right to diplomatic and consular protection by authorities' member states other than their own.
The text further suggests a future "European compensation system" for repatriation costs as well as better co-ordination between member states when issuing warnings for travellers to troubled areas.
One complication factor is that third countries also need to legally agree to the protection by one EU member state of another member state's citizens - a hurdle which Brussels seeks to overcome by pressing for inclusion of consular protection clauses in bilateral and EU agreements with third states.
An earlier version of this article said the commission green paper would be published today (22 November). In fact, publication of the document has been postponed until next Tuesday.