Annex 2: Letter of 3 May 2013 from the EU High
Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President
of the Commission (Baroness Ashton) to PSC Ambassadors concerning
EUSR mandates
"Dear Ambassadors,
"By this letter, I wish to outline my
proposals concerning the EU Special Representatives whose mandates
or budgets will require a Council Decision before the end of June
2013. Following a thorough evaluation of the current mandates
of the EUSRs, the constantly evolving political context in which
they are operating and the degree to which the EEAS services have,
both in Brussels and in delegations, developed the resources and
expertise to take on new tasks, I have come to the conclusion
that the current setup of EU Special Representatives needs to
be adapted, not least with a view to the upcoming EEAS review.
"Currently, we have 12 EU Special Representatives. The newest
EUSR is Mr Michel Reveyrand de Menthon, appointed as EUSR for
the Sahel on 18 March 2013, and whose mandate runs until the end
of February 2014. With regard to the other eleven EUSRs, nine
mandates (Kosovo, Sudan, Afghanistan, African Union, Southern
Mediterranean, Middle East Peace Process, South Caucasus, Horn
of Africa, Central Asia) expire on 30 June 2013. In two other
cases (BiH and Human Rights) the mandates run longer (until mid-2015
and mid-2014 respectively), but new budgets will need to be provided
by the end of June 2013.
"In the case of three of the existing mandates,
I am proposing specific arrangements.
"The present EU Special Representative for Sudan (later to
include South Sudan) took up the role in September 2010. In that
time, the international effort, in which the EU and EUSR have
played a crucial role, has achieved the peaceful independence
of South Sudan and the Addis Ababa agreements on outstanding bilateral
issues. Now is therefore the right time to re-consider the follow-up
work. I propose to do this by designating the EUSR for the Horn
of Africa, Mr Alexander Rondos, to also cover Sudan and South
Sudan which are already included in his mandate. His team would
be expanded to include Political advisor positions with the focus
on resolving the outstanding Sudanese issues. I would like to
pay tribute to the outstanding work of Dame Rosalind Marsden.
"As for the Middle East, the new US administration
has launched a new initiative to break the existing stalemate
and thus revive the Peace Process. I have consistently expressed
the EU's commitment to contribute to the ongoing efforts to resume
negotiations. In view of the fact that the future of the Middle
East Peace Process, and of the Quartet, will to a very large degree
depend on the outcome of current efforts, I want to keep all options
open when it comes to the nature of our own engagement, and therefore
at this stage propose to extend the existing mandate of Mr Andreas
Reinicke for a period of six months until 31 December 2013.
"Similarly, I propose to prolong the current mandate of the
EUSR for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, Mr Philippe
Lefort, for a period of six months until 31 December 2013, in
order to allow for a reflection on how best to carry out the EU's
role in the region, including with regard to the protracted conflicts
and the EU mediation efforts within the Geneva Process, with a
view to possibly strengthening the EEAS' direct engagement on
some or all elements of the current mandate."
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