Brussels, 18/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - It took a letter from the Spanish Presidency to all chancelleries of Member states for the European Union's Special Representative to the Middle East, Miguel Angel Moratinos, to finally have an armoured vehicle, whereas he himself and his small team are almost daily exposed to serious risks in the context of the conflict that has intensified over the past few months. Whereas the missions of the Member states, and the Commission delegation, have armoured vehicles, and the American envoy Anthony Zinni, when on the ground, was constantly surrounded by robust security provisions, the EU's representative, whose activity has been particularly intensive these past few months has had to move around without any form of protection or obtain, when circumstances allowed, the assistance of the Commission or a diplomatic representation of a Member state. An initial request by Mr. Moratinos ran up against an administrative rejection by the Council's services, reasoned by the lack of credits. The Special Representative then decided, end-May, to write to the Spanish Presidency and send a copy of the letter to all the chancelleries. This second approach was crowned with success, as Moratinos secured the authorisation to acquire an armoured car on his mission's budget, which should enable it to be delivered in a few weeks, customs procedures currently being very lengthy. So as to fill the financial gap, in the order of 300,000 euro, created by this purchase and other expenses linked to the increased activity of his office, France and the United Kingdom have agreed to take on board the costs of the mission of the two officials they have seconded to Moratinos' office. This problem is but one illustration of the budgetary difficulties facing Mr. Moratinos whose office, which only has a dozen personnel in all, has suffered a reduction of some 37% of its budget, in total contradiction with the will expressed by the Council and EP as to the role the EU would like to play in the region. A situation all the more paradoxical in that the institutions of the EU and Member states have multiplied the requests made of his office over the past few months, period in which Mr. Moratinos has been one of the main artisans of the different negotiations, including the one that allowed to break the deadlock in the situation of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. At the same time, the office of the Special Representative has also lost a political advisor and is in the process of losing its economic advisor, whereas a phase of reconstructing the Palestinian infrastructures and economy is to begin.