The Permanent Representation of the Federal Republic of Germany to the European Union in Brussels represents Germany in and towards the various institutions of the European Union (EU). The term “Permanent Representation” typically refers to a German representation abroad at an international or supranational organization. A Permanent Representation is the counterpart to a German Embassy, which maintains and shapes political, economic and cultural relations in its host country. The Permanent Representation of Germany to the EU is one of the largest German missions abroad.
PermRep staff represent the Federal Government in nearly 140 committees and working parties within the EU institutions. They contribute to Germany’s EU policies, keep the Federal Government up to date on current developments, support German interests with regard to personnel employed at EU institutions and address the public by giving presentations and hosting events on current European Topics.
A core task is preparing the decisions of the Council of the European Union, which is the organ of the member states and is also called the Ministerial Council. Therefore, unlike any other German mission, the PermRep is directly involved in a legislative process.
This starts at specialist level, in so called Working Parties (WP), where desk officers from the 27 Permanent Representations discuss European subjects from a technical point of view. Examples of the many Working Parties are WP COLAC, which shapes EU relations with Latin America, and WP Energy, which works, among other things, on European directives for renewable energies.
Subsequently, political decisions are prepared in the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER), where 27 Ambassadors agree on the agendas for various dossiers and make proposals regarding upcoming decisions at meetings of the Council of Ministers.
There are two COREPER formats: In COREPER II, the Permanent Representatives – i.e., the Heads of the Permanent Representations of the 27 member states – deal with economic, financial and trade policy, justice and inner affairs, as well as with foreign and general affairs. In COREPER I, their Deputies deal with political issues in the fields of competitiveness, agriculture, education, labour and social affairs, the environment and infrastructure.
| 1988 | Joined the Foreign Service |
| 1990 | Gulf War Crisis Unit, Foreign Office |
| 1991 | Desk officer, Political Affairs, German Embassy in Tel Aviv |
| 1994 | Desk Officer, Personnel Division (Higher Service), Foreign Office |
| 1997 | Counsellor, Permanent Representation of Germany to the EU, Brussels |
| 1999 | Private Secretary to the State Secretary, Foreign Office, Berlin |
| 2001 | Head of the Office of the State Secretaries, Foreign Office, Berlin |
| 2002 | Head of the Federal Government Secretariat for the EU Convention, Foreign Office, Berlin |
| 2005 | Deputy Director-General for European Affairs at the Foreign Office, Berlin and Commissioner for the German EU Presidency in 2007 |
| 2010 | Director-General for European Affairs, Foreign Office, Berlin |
| 2013 | Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany in China |
| 08/2018 |
Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany to the European Union, Brussels |
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