While the EEAS does not plan to officially close any of its 144 foreign delegations, around 10 will be stripped down to core staff such as an ambassador and one or two aides, with local staffers phased out, both officials said. As part of those changes, some delegations will receive more staffing.
The circa 100 local staffers are likely to be downsized in two phases in 2026 and 2027, the second person said.
Reducing a delegation to core staff who would work from home rather than from an EU office equates to shuttering those delegations, that person added.
Focus on core interests
The downsizing coincides with budget cuts hitting several EU institutions. An earlier plan to downsize the EEAS, first reported by POLITICO in November, foresaw much deeper cuts of as many as 800 staffers.
This version of the plan — whose outlines will be communicated to key staff in the coming days, per the document seen by POLITICO — calls for softer cuts. The overhaul will cost the EU some €20 million in its first year, which would then be followed by savings of €9 million euros in the three subsequent years, one of the officials said.
Delegations targeted by the cuts are in countries where the EU no longer feels it has such a strong interest in fielding a significant number of diplomats and staffers. | David Mdzinarishvili/EPA
However, the second official warned that cuts beyond what is outlined in Kallas’ plan could be looming as part of negotiations for the EU’s long-term budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework.