BRUSSELS — The EU’s diplomatic branch is poised to downsize some 10 foreign delegations and cut an estimated 100 local staffers amid budget cuts and a broader reshuffle, according to a document seen by POLITICO and two officials familiar with the plans.

Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas presented the plan for shaking up the European External Action Service, or EEAS, to top European Commission officials last Wednesday. She’s received their green light to go ahead with the overhaul, which will be carried over the next two years, the officials said.

According to the first official, 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, such as Belarus or Lesotho. The bloc’s priorities are shifting away from development aid to pursuing strategic interests such as sanctions enforcement or defense partnerships, with resources being redirected to follow, the same official said.

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.

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. 

The External Action Service, founded in 2011 and historically focused on development aid and economic cooperation, expanded from a few dozen employees to more than 5,200 people globally as the EU sought to expand its footprint. Delegations are in charge of relations with local governments, allocating EU funds and grants, and — in some cases — carrying out missions, such as reporting on conflict zones.

However, the bloc is now looking to focus more narrowly on strategic interests such as liaising with governments that have a say in enforcing the EU’s sanctions against Russia. As a result, delegations in countries crucial to enforcing sanctions — such as those that provide flags to Russian “shadow fleet” vessels — may well see staffing increase, according to one of the people aware of the plans.

More broadly, budget cuts in the EU reflect limited appetite among member countries to increase contributions to the Brussels-based institutions, as well as a desire to free up resources for defense-related projects.

A spokesperson for the European Commission did not immediately reply to a request for comment.