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Role of the Delegation in Pakistan
The European Commission has Delegations in more than 128 countries. These Delegations are the Commission's representations in the host country serving European Union's interest and performing a variety of roles such as:
Presenting , explaining and implementing EU policy
Analysing and reporting on the policies and developments of the countries to which they are accredited and
Conducting negotiations in accordance with a given mandate.
The Delegation of the European Commission (EC) in Pakistan is charged with overseeing and helping to implement co-operation activities at large between Pakistan and the European Union. The Delegation plays a central role in promoting the chief policy objective of the EU in Pakistan which is; strengthening the relations between the EU and Pakistan through enhanced mutual understanding, and in particular, by co-operating with Pakistan in its development objectives through the development co-operation programme and promoting EU-Pakistan trade and investment through the EU trade policy and economic co-operation activities.
Development Co-operation
The Delegation participates actively in the preparation,
organization and supervision of various development
co-operation programmes and projects supported by the EC
in Pakistan. This entails maintaining contacts with the
authorities of Pakistan and with project partners, and
coordinating all activities with the EC headquarters in Brussels.
Economic Co-operation
The Delegation is responsible for coordinating and monitoring a range of regional and bilateral projects aimed at promoting EU-Pakistan trade and investment. These programmes are directed towards strengthening mutual understanding and improving the general framework for business in Pakistan.
Trade Relations
The European Commission is responsible for the EU's common commercial policy, and for example, represents the EU at the WTO and other international trade fora. The Commission's Delegation thus has an important role to play in the EU's trade relations with the host country. In Pakistan this is particularly important since the EU is the key trade and investment partner of Pakistan.
Political Relations
The Delegation is also responsible for political reporting to the EC headquarters at Brussels. The Delegation participates with the Member States missions in Islamabad on all matters falling under the ambit of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).
Press and Information
Explaining the evolving role of the EU to the policy makers and opinion makers is another key task of the Delegation. Information dissemination not only involves highlighting specific activities such as the EU's contribution in Development and Economic Co-operation programmes but also explaining the EU's role in world affairs, for example at the UN or WTO. This requires close contacts with not only the government and the administration but also trade and industry, media, academia, NGO's, and the civil society.
Representational Role
The Delegation also performs a representational function vis-à-vis the host government. The Delegation organizes visits of the Members of the European Commission and other officials of the Commission. It also assists in visits by members of other EU institutions notably the European Parliament.
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