ABSTRACT
The withdrawal of the UK may weaken the EU diplomatic network, since few Member States have a diplomatic network comparable to the UK. Brexit might also complicate the provision of consular protection to unrepresented EU citizens in third countries and increase the workload of other Member States’ diplomatic and consular missions. To address these problems, the Member States may strengthen diplomatic coordination and increase the responsibilities of EU delegations in the sensitive area of consular protection. An important precedent in this respect might be set by the new EU delegation in the UK, which should ensure the implementation of the UK’s Withdrawal Agreement and, consequently, the protection of EU nationals in the UK. Though it constitutes a challenge for EU diplomacy, Brexit offers the opportunity to strengthen the EU’s ‘equality with states’ in the diplomatic arena.
