New EU ambassador in Washington claims transatlantic authority

[dipsydoodle]

Joao Vale de Almeida was this week formally installed as the EU's ambassador to the US, and suggested that American officials should regard him as their first point of contact for transatlantic discussions.

He is the first EU ambassador to be appointed after the controversial Lisbon Treaty gave the EU sweeping new powers.

The new ambassador claimed to now be "leading the show" among European representatives in Washington.

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Mr Vale de Almeida's comments are also likely to alarm Sir Nigel Sheinwald, the British ambassador in Washington. Sir Nigel is thought to have struggled to build strong relations with the White House after a memorandum he wrote for Gordon Brown questioning Barack Obama's experience was leaked in 2008.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/7941313/New-EU-ambassador-in-Washington-claims-transatlantic-authority.html

[Slartibartfas]

1. Not quite right

A lousy article even for Telegraph standards.

De Almeida, the new EU ambassador in DC only claimed that he is the first address for those areas where there are agreed common positions. Member states have to agree to such common positions in first place, unanimously.

He is the one who speaks for the EU as such now, if the US wants to talk to Britain rather than the EU, Sir Nigel is the first address.

Thats quite a bit less sensationalist than what the Telegraph reported. A difference to the pre-Lisbon times exists however. Formerly the embassies of the country carrying out the rotating EU presidency handled the business of representing the EU. Not anymore, now the new EU delegations are doing so, ie De Almeida in the US.