European Union Special Representative
The European Union Special Representatives are emissaries of the European Union with specific tasks abroad. While the EU's ambassadors are responsible for affairs with a single country, Special Representatives tackle specific issues, conflict areas or regions of countries. They answer directly to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, currently Josep Borrell.
Current SRs by region
Europe
Bosnia and Herzegovina
took over the position of EUSR in Bosnia and Herzegovina with a mandate from 1 September 2011 until 30 June 2015. His post was de-coupled from the one of High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, aiming at fostering the EU pre-accession strategy for Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, in November 2014, Sørensen became Head of the EU Delegation in Geneva, leaving the EUSR BiH post vacant. Lars-Gunnar Wigemark was appointed as the EUSR in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1 March 2015 until 31 October 2015. His mandate was extended until 30 June 2018 and again until 31 August 2019. Johann Sattler replaced him in 2019, with a mandate from 1 September 2019 to 31 August 2021.Kosovo
Nataliya Apostolova was appointed as Special Representative in Kosovo for the period from 1 September 2016 to 28 February 2017. Her mandate was extended until 30 June 2018, then until 29 February 2020, and again until 31 August 2020.South Caucasus and Georgia
Toivo Klaar was appointed EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia on 13 November 2017. His mandate was extended until 29 February 2020, and again until 28 February 2021.Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues
On 3 April 2020, Miroslav Lajčák was appointed by the EU Council as EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues. His 12-month mandate includes the tasks to achieve comprehensive normalisation of the relations between Serbia and Kosovo, improve good neighbourly relations and reconciliation between partners in the Western Balkans, helping them overcome the legacy of the past, and contribute to the consistency and effectiveness of EU action in the Western Balkans. His mandate runs from 2 April 2020 until 31 March 2021.Asia
Central Asia
is the Special Representative for the Central Asia starting from 15 April 2015 until 28 February 2017. His mandate is to promote good relations between the EU and central Asian countries and to strengthen stability, cooperation, democracy and respect for human rights in the region. In particular, the EU Special Representative will co-ordinate EU action in central Asia and oversee the implementation of the EU Strategy for central Asia. His mandate was extended until 30 June 2018 and again until 29 February 2020, and again until 28 February 2021.Middle East
Susanna Terstal is the Special Representative for the Middle East peace process starting from 18 September 2018 until 29 February 2020, and again until 28 February 2021. The mandate of the Special Representative is based on the EU's policy objectives regarding the Middle East peace process, which include a two-State solution with Israel and a democratic, contiguous, viable, peaceful and sovereign Palestinian State living side-by-side within secure and recognised borders enjoying normal relations with their neighbours in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions 242, 338, 1397 and 1402 and the principles of the Madrid Conference.Africa
Horn of Africa (incl. the region of Sudan)
Alexander Rondos was appointed European Union Special Representative for the Horn of Africa on 1 January 2012. His mandate was extended until 28 February 2017. His mandate was again extended until 30 June 2018 and again until 29 February 2020, and again until 31 August 2020.Sahel
was appointed as the EUSR for the Sahel from 1 November 2015 to 28 February 2017. His mandate was extended until 30 June 2018 and again until 29 February 2020, and again until 28 February 2021.Global
Human Rights
A long-standing request for a representative that would be in charge of enhancing the effectiveness and visibility of EU's human rights policy, based on the Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy, led to the creation of the post of the Special Representative of the European Union for Human Rights. The post, which is providing a strong, independent, flexible and sufficiently broad mandate, is aiming to cover fields such as the strengthening of democracy, International justice, humanitarian law and the abolition of the death penalty.On 19 February 2019, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini nominated Eamon Gilmore to be European Union Special Representative for Human Rights. His nomination was approved by the Foreign Affairs Council on 20 February 2019. His mandate runs from 1 March 2019 until 28 February 2021.
Previous SRs
The table below is based on official sources provided by the EU.| Scope | Representative | Term |
| Afghanistan | Klaus Peter Klaiber | 10 December 2001 – 30 June 2002 |
| Afghanistan | Francesc Vendrell | 1 July 2002 – 31 August 2008 |
| Afghanistan | Ettore Francesco Sequi | 1 September 2008 – 31 March 2010 |
| Afghanistan | Vygaudas Ušackas | 1 April 2010 – 31 August 2013 |
| Afghanistan | Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin | 1 September 2013 – 31 August 2017 |
| African Great Lakes Region | Aldo Ajello | 25 March 1996 – 28 February 2007 |
| African Great Lakes Region | Roeland van de Geer | 1 March 2007 – 31 August 2011 |
| African Union | Koen Vervaeke | 6 December 2007 – 31 October 2011 |
| African Union | Gary Quince | 1 November 2011 – 30 June 2014 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Lord Ashdown | 3 June 2002 – 31 January 2006 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Christian Schwarz-Schilling | 1 February 2006 – 30 June 2007 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Miroslav Lajčák | 1 July 2007 – 28 February 2009 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Valentin Inzko | 1 March 2009 – 31 August 2011 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Peter Sørensen | 1 September 2011 – 31 October 2014 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Lars-Gunnar Wigemark | 1 March 2015 – 31 August 2019 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Johann Sattler | 1 September 2019 – present |
| Central Asia | Ján Kubiš | 28 July 2005 – 5 July 2006 |
| Central Asia | Pierre Morel | 5 October 2006 – 30 June 2012 |
| Central Asia | Patricia Flor | 1 July 2012 - 30 June 2014 |
| Georgia crisis | Pierre Morel | 25 September 2008 – 31 August 2011 |
| Human rights | Stavros Lambrinidis | 1 September 2012 – 28 February 2019 |
| Kosovo | Wolfgang Petritsch | 5 October 1998 – 29 July 1999 |
| Kosovo | Pieter Feith | 4 February 2008 – 30 April 2011 |
| Kosovo | Fernando Gentilini | 1 May 2011 – 31 January 2012 |
| Kosovo | Samuel Žbogar | 1 February 2012 – 31 August 2016 |
| Republic of Macedonia | François Léotard | 29 June 2001 – 29 October 2001 |
| Republic of Macedonia | Alain Le Roy | 29 October 2001 – 28 February 2002 |
| Republic of Macedonia | Alexis Brouhns | 30 September 2002 – 31 December 2003 |
| Republic of Macedonia | Søren Jessen-Petersen | 26 January 2004 – 30 June 2004 |
| Republic of Macedonia | Michael Sahlin | 12 July 2004 – 31 August 2005 |
| Republic of Macedonia | Erwan Fouéré | 17 October 2005 – 31 August 2011 |
| Middle East peace process | Miguel Ángel Moratinos | 25 November 1996 – 31 May 2002 |
| Middle East peace process | Marc Otte | 14 July 2003 – 28 February 2011 |
| Middle East peace process | Andreas Reinicke | 1 February 2012 – 31 December 2013 |
| Middle East peace process | Fernando Gentilini | 15 April 2015 – 30 June 2018 |
| Moldova | Adriaan Jacobovits de Szeged | 23 March 2005 – 28 February 2007 |
| Moldova | Kálmán Mizsei | 1 March 2007 – 28 February 2011 |
| Sahel | :fr:Michel Reveyrand-de Menthon | 18 March 2013 – 31 October 2015 |
| South Caucasus | Heikki Talvitie | 1 July 2003 – 28 February 2006 |
| South Caucasus | Peter Semneby | 1 March 2006 – 28 February 2011 |
| South Caucasus | Philippe Lefort | 1 September 2011 - 30 June 2014 |
| South Caucasus | Herbert Salber | 1 July 2014 - 15 August 2017 |
| Royaumont Process | Panagiotis Roumeliotis | 31 May 1999 – 31 May 2000 |
| Southern Mediterranean | Bernardino León | 18 July 2011 – 30 June 2014 |
| Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe | Bodo Hombach | 2 July 1999 – 31 December 2001 |
| Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe | Erhard Busek | 1 January 2002 – 30 June 2008 |
| Sudan | Pekka Haavisto | 18 July 2005 – 30 April 2007 |
| Sudan | Torben Brylle | 1 May 2007 – 31 August 2010 |
| Sudan | Rosalind Marsden | 1 September 2010 – 31 October 2013 |
| Federal Republic of Yugoslavia | Felipe González | 8 June 1998 – 11 October 1999 |