In the longer term, there is a strong economic rationale for assigning EU Delegations with consular assistance tasks, argues Kristi Raik in this Policy Brief. Building up such a capacity for the EEAS would require additional resources, but pooling resources in this way would ease, not duplicate, the burden on member states. But if these benefits are to materialise, then a major leap is required in member states’ views on the transfer of national competences and resources to EU level, the paper concludes.
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