According to a document obtained by EUROPE, the EU’s High Representative would like the European Diplomatic Academy to become a permanent structure.
In 2021, the European Parliament proposed a pilot project entitled ‘Towards the creation of a European Diplomatic Academy’. The first pilot phase was launched for the 2022–2023 academic year, and the second will take place during the 2023–2024 academic year. These pilot phases were entrusted to the College of Europe.
In his proposal, the High Representative explains, “The success of the first phase of the European Diplomatic Academy Pilot Programme [EUDA] as well as the launching of a second phase underline the importance of providing training to national diplomats on Union issues and working methods via a permanent structure”. The aim is to start at the beginning of the 2024 school year.
He states that the EUDA is expected to provide education and training in the field of Union external action, including the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) “in order to develop and promote a common understanding on the role of the Union in the world as well as disseminate best practices in relation to the conduct of the Union’s diplomacy, while promoting the spirit of a ‘European diplomatic corps’”.
In concrete terms, the training is expected, in his view, to notably include modules on relevant policy topics in the area of Union external action, on the EU’s role as a global actor, and on multilateral relations in addition to practical training on relevant diplomatic skills through an interactive, contextual application of learning. Practitioners, academics, and researchers in the fields of diplomacy and Union external action sharing their knowledge and experience as well as study visits to EU institutions, Member States’ delegations, and international organisations, among others, are also expected to be part of the programme. An internship at the European External Action Service might be offered. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)