‘The cavalry has arrived’: EU in The Hague and at OPCW

Analysis of the EU's positioning at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The EU does not have a delegation to international organisations in The Hague, but in 2013 decided to send a laptop diplomat to strenghten the EU's representation at OPCW.

The OPCW recently received increased attention due to the use of chemical weapons in Syria and it winning the Nobel prize for its contribution to removing these from the country.

This policy brief argues that sending a laptop diplomat is an improvement for the EU's visibility and presence at an organisation that gained a more important role, but falls short of ensuring an adequate representation of the EU's strategic interests in the international organisations based in The Hague.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background Information: Award of the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW): Statement of José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-award-of-the-2013-nobel-peace-prize-to-the-organisation-for-the-prohibition-of-chemical-weapons-opcw-statement-of-jose-manuel-barroso-president-of-the-european-commission/

Website: Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) http://www.opcw.org/

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