Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

In her address to the European Parliament's Budgetary Control Committee on the disbursement of the European External Action Service's 2024 budget, Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said: “When I arrived here a year ago, I committed to cooperation, transparency, and regular dialogue with the European Parliament. My commitment remains unchanged. I would like to thank you for the constructive way in which our cooperation has continued since then. I would also like to thank the European Court of Auditors for presenting its 2024 Annual Report.

The work of the Court of Auditors is invaluable to the External Action Service, as your findings and recommendations help us strengthen:

Our internal governance;

Our controls;

Our operational management across our 145 delegations and offices.

I am pleased to see that the European Court of Auditors has once again concluded that spending under the European Public Administration chapter – including the External Action Service – was free of material misstatements.

This confirms the quality and professionalism of our financial management. This is also thanks to the work of our staff – both at headquarters and in our missions.” Despite inflation, currency fluctuations, and rising security costs, the fiscal error rate in 2024 remained remarkably low at 0.03%. Once again, the European External Action Service (EEAS) demonstrates that we manage public funds responsibly.

The EEAS also continued to strengthen integrity and accountability.

For example:

The updated anti-fraud strategy is now fully implemented. This includes prevention, training, and enhanced cooperation with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

It also includes the first working agreement signed with the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO).

Progress has been made on a future framework for whistleblowing within the EEAS. I look forward to seeing this framework implemented in the near future. I know this addresses a long-standing demand from the European Parliament.

We are analyzing how to further improve transparency. We want to do this in a way that reflects our specific diplomatic mandate, particularly regarding engagement and representation abroad. Now, regarding the budget itself:

In 2024, the EEAS delivered more services with roughly the same resources as in the previous year. With a budget of €880 million:

The External Action Service's administrative budget covered the work of approximately 2,500 colleagues at headquarters and nearly 2,800 in our 145 missions.

However, it's also important to note our responsibility for the well-being of 8,000 people, as UNHCR staff based in our missions are also our responsibility for their security on the ground.

The €880 million also covered all related costs, such as buildings, IT, and security.

Salaries and buildings continued to account for approximately 80% of the total budget. This limits the flexibility of the remaining 20%. It requires a constant balancing act, often between equally essential needs: security upgrades, staffing requirements, IT flexibility, and operational engagement.

Postponing maintenance of critical buildings, delaying IT upgrades, and delaying staff handovers in missions may be a cost-saving strategy. But this is precisely what leaves us vulnerable. I don't need to explain how security threats have increased:

We have more and more examples of delegations being harmed by bombs falling nearby or where our staff have been taken hostage: think of Ukraine, Libya, and Syria.

Elsewhere, demonstrations and fuel crises have posed significant challenges. This was recently the case in Tanzania and Mali.

At the same time, our delegations are always providing assistance to our Member States.

You will all agree with me that underfunding diplomacy—especially today—poses not only material risks but also strategic ones. We cannot be expected to maintain Europe's role in the world with diminishing real resources.

Here, I would like to thank Parliament for its support during the 2025 budget negotiations. The 2025 budget that was voted on amounts to €932.5 million. This includes an additional €10 million for the security of our delegations. This is thanks to your support. So, another thank you to Parliament here. Without this funding, we would not have been able to fulfill some of our duty of care obligations. The European official added, “We see every day that European foreign policy is a fundamental pillar of our work as a Union. A new world order is currently being shaped. Having the means to act effectively is what ensures the EU remains relevant, adds value, and truly influences how the world is shaped.

We achieve this through:
Our geographic reach;
Our field experts;
And our ability to defend Europe’s voice in the world against disinformation.
First, regarding our geographic reach.
Despite financial constraints, we have not and will not close any EU missions. I know you appreciate our field presence and the value it represents for the EU’s interests. Some of you have recently visited third countries, for example, on election observation missions.
Our geographic reach is also part of our geopolitical power. But what we do on the ground must reflect our priorities as a Union. EU delegations are our eyes and ears on the ground, monitoring all aspects of our EU policy, from aid to economic security, trade, access to essential raw materials, and migration.” Security and research are key considerations. For this reason, we are modernizing the network to better suit our strategic needs and interests.

Certain delegations are being strengthened where geopolitical risks are highest or where regional task distribution is more cost-effective. This is the case in Barbados, Fiji, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Senegal, and South Africa.

Other delegations are being streamlined into delegations with a diplomatic presence. They maintain the EU flag, the ambassador's residence, and the basic representation. Given the budget constraints, we still need to explore the possibility of flying the EU flag in other relevant locations.

We are also working to increase site sharing with Member States and like-minded partners. This saves taxpayers money. In 2024, eight new site sharing agreements were signed. This brings our total to 137 agreements across 80 delegations – 45 with Member States and partner countries, and 92 with EU institutions and agencies such as the European Parliament and the European Investment Bank.

As you know, we have seconded staff from the European Parliament to some delegations, most recently to Ukraine and Moldova, as well as Jakarta, Addis Ababa, Panama, and New York.

We also share space with the European Parliament's liaison offices in the main delegations in London and Washington.

We continue to enhance our collaborative office spaces wherever possible. We have done this, for example, in delegations to Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kuwait, Gambia, Jordan, Yemen, and Rome. Secondly, regarding our staff:

We must use our budget to support equality goals, not least because it increases our efficiency.

While there is still a long way to go, we have continued to improve geographical balance. The representation of all Member States is steadily increasing, and the time has come! It has been 20 years since the country I know so well joined the European Union. All 27 nationalities are now represented at the management level.

We have continued to promote gender equality. Women now make up almost half of the staff of the European External Action Service and nearly 40% of management.

However, barriers remain at the senior levels. Only 30% of applicants for Heads of Delegation positions in 2026 are women. Clearly, this is not enough.

We must address these barriers together, including with Member States, which represent a significant proportion of high-level candidates. We also continued to strengthen staff wellbeing and psychological support, particularly for colleagues working in high-risk environments and those returning from challenging assignments.

For example:

We provided resilience training to help colleagues manage stress and adapt in difficult environments.

Health assessments were enhanced to ensure everyone is physically and mentally prepared before new assignments.

Regional security officers received trauma management training to better support staff in crisis situations.

We also raised awareness of mental health through mental health first aid training.

I am determined that the European External Action Service (EEAS) will be a service where people feel protected, valued, and respected wherever they are in the world.

I have now met with staff in almost 40 countries. They are the true diplomatic force of Europe. They are the first point of contact with Europe in the places where we fly the EU flag. We must invest in our staff around the world.

The third point is foreign information manipulation and interference, or FIMI.

The EU and our democracies are under clear attack. We are witnessing campaigns from Russia, China, and other malicious actors aimed at recruiting our citizens. This undermines the positive work we are doing in foreign policy across all other areas and diminishes the real impact of our budget on the ground. It erodes trust in EU institutions and directs it toward our partners, particularly candidate countries and others.

We are witnessing attempts to weaken public support for Ukraine, voices that distort our role in the Middle East, and outright interference in European democratic processes, as in Moldova.

The work of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and EU delegations on FIMI is part of the European Democracy Shield and will constitute the EU’s response to protect the cornerstones of our democracies: freedom of the press, fact-based debate, and fair elections.

For this reason, the EEAS has done, and will continue to do, to:
strengthen its analytical capacity;
expand cooperation with Member States;

intensify its work on detecting, exposing, and countering disinformation going into the 2026 budget cycle. I would like to thank you again for your participation. Your support ensures that the European External Action Service (EEAS) has the necessary means to implement its mandated foreign policy.

The EEAS needs a stable and predictable financial path to:

Maintain our operational presence in 145 missions;

Ensure the safety of our staff;

And enable our diplomats to represent Europe credibly.

I am confident that we have the support of the European Parliament to secure the necessary means to do so.

Achieving more with less does not necessarily mean asking our staff to work harder and for longer. We need to work differently. That is why we have launched a streamlining process across the EEAS.

Managing work within the EU institutions is an art in itself. The time required to produce a single report—using multiple IT systems, following complex internal procedures, and ensuring full legal compliance—distracts staff from their core task: diplomacy.

That is why we are working to:

Reduce duplication between headquarters and delegations;

Simplify reporting and coordination;

And clarify who decides what and at what level. In short, as Paul Henry Spaak once said, there are only two kinds of countries in Europe: small countries and those that haven't yet realized they are small countries. In other words, European voices are often only heard when we are a choir and singing together. The European External Action Service does this every day, working on behalf of all member states.

But to do our work, as representatives of the European Union, we need:
A secure and effective network of delegations;
A stable diplomatic service with the right people in the right places;
And a budget that meets the EU's political ambitions.
The European Parliament is a key partner in this endeavor. Your support for the European External Action Service's 2025 budget was crucial. Your role was also crucial for the 2026 budget and the upcoming Multiannual Framework. The European Commission's Global Europe proposal is ambitious and will help us remain a reliable and credible partner, guided by the EU's interests and values.

I truly hope the outcome will maintain this spirit. A strong budget will ensure that Europe remains a geopolitical force in these challenging times for the world.