The Module III of the anniversary 25th European Diplomatic Programme, entitled “Shaping the Future: Towards a Strong, Secure and Competitive EU”, took place in Brussels on 10-14 March 2025.

The event organised by the European External Action Service EEAS, in cooperation with the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU and the European Commission, brought together 52 junior diplomats from the EU Ministries of Foreign Affairs and 14 junior EU officials (from EEAS, GSC and EC).

The programme started with a plenary session filled with presentations and panels on up-to-date topics related to EU foreign policy delivered by speakers from the EU institutions, including the EEAS Secretary General Belén Martinez Carbonell and Director General for Resource Management Kristin de Peyron. Among the themes covered were e.g. EU defence, support to Ukraine, economic security, Team Europe and Global Gateway or hybrid threats. There was also a session with nine EDP alumni, both from the Member States and EU institutions, who shared experience about the EDP edition they attended and gave advice to their young colleagues how best to use this opportunity for a career development. All of them find as the most valuable the professional network across Europe, which they managed to build thanks to the EDP.

On 10th March, the participants visited the Emergency Response Coordination Centre at the DG ECHO to learn how it operates. On 11th March afternoon, they had a chance to visit the Council of the EU to hear from two GSC Directors about the role of the GSC in European Council on External Relations and EU Enlargement.

Later on, the 25th EDP cocktail reception hosted by the EEAS took place in the emblematic Europa Building. The guests were addressed by the GSC Director General for External Relations, Maryem van den Heuvel, EEAS Director General for Resource Management, Kristin de Peyron, and the rector of College of Europe and a former EU HR/VP, Federica Mogherini. All of them emphasised the importance of keeping EU united in these turbulent times and the crucial role of all the junior EU diplomats for ensuring so in the years to come. During the evening, the EDP participants had a great opportunity to celebrate the quarter of century of the EDP existence together with the current cohorts of the EU Diplomatic Academy and EU Diplomatic Programme for the Enlargement Region and to expand their working relations even further thanks to this occasion.

From 12th to 14th March, the EDP participants attended negotiation and simulation workshops conducted by professional trainers from the Clingendael Institute, Jules Bracke and Luuk Pepers, and Centre for Experiential Negotiation and Applied Diplomacy (CENAD), Robert Weibel and Laurent Verrellen in the EEAS training premises. Both Clingendael and CENAD support the EDP since its first edition in 2000 and their workshops are always highly evaluated by the participants.

On 13th March evening, there was an informal event co-organised with the Young Diplomats in Belgium, association linked to the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the popular Les Halles de Saint-Géry. This gathering offered the EDP participants another opportunity for networking and bonding with colleagues.

The 25th EDP Module III enabled the participants to deepen their knowledge about the EU foreign policy making and inter-institutional relations, to learn how the EU stands up to the global challenges of today, to practice what creation of positions with like-minded countries and international negotiations entail and it offered them many opportunities to build both professional relationships and personal bonds with colleagues from all over Europe.

• The European Diplomatic Programme is organised by the EEAS in cooperation with the rotating EU Presidencies. The EDP offers a unique learning opportunity to junior MS diplomats and EU officials. Annually, up to 75 participants attend four EDP modules over a period of an academic year. The EDP creates a professional network of junior EU diplomats and officials while improving their core diplomatic skills and strengthening their European spirit. A certificate is awarded to participants upon completion of the whole EDP cycle.

The anniversary 25^th EDP (2024-2025)

It takes place under the EU Presidencies of Hungary and Poland. The cycle started in Budapest in November 2024 and will be concluded in Warsaw in May 2025.

Module I: 21 - 22 November 2024, Budapest, Hungary

Module II: January/February 2025, visits in small groups to EUMS capitals

Module III: 10 - 14 March 2025, Brussels, Belgium

Module IV: 27 - 28 May 2025, Warsaw, Poland