The British government has ended the diplomatic row that the Commission has had with the UK since January over the status to be accorded to the EU mission and its ambassador (see EUROPE 12641/19).
An agreement has been reached to give the EU ambassador in London, João Vale de Almeida, the same diplomatic status as other national ambassadors, the High Representative of the Union and Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, and the British Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, who met on the sidelines of the G7 summit in London, announced in a joint statement on Wednesday 5 May. The UK government had argued that the EU was not a nation state and therefore could not have the same status as other countries, which was contested and seen as an unfriendly gesture in Brussels.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement together, based on goodwill and pragmatism, on an Establishment Agreement for the EU Delegation to the UK. The EU Ambassador will have a status consistent with heads of missions of states, including agreement and presentation of the credentials to the Head of State. EU Delegation staff will have the privileges and immunities needed to function effectively, while allowing for effective administration of justice”, said the two men. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)