(B2) It is finally the Finnish diplomat Sofie From-Emmesberger, who takes the head of the Political and Security Committee (COPS). A body she knows well for being a member of the COPS for three years.
(credit: Finland)
This appointment was officially announced by Federica Mogherini during the Ambassadors' Day through a short press release, thus confirming the information published a few hours earlier on B2 (Notebook 03.09.2018). The High Representative is thus perpetuating a tradition established since the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty (1): choosing the President of the COPS from among its members, adding her personal touch by choosing a woman. The experience, the knowledge of the structure, the sincerity of Sofie, as well as her nationality, made her one of the favorite candidates (Read: Who will be the future president (or president) of COPS?). She replaces the Belgian Walter Stevens, who has been in office for nearly five years (July 2013) who is leaving as ambassador to Geneva (read: The 2018 rotation of ambassadors begins).
Legal training and experience
Born in 1965, Sofie obtained a master's degree in law at the University of Helsinki in 1991, then studied European studies at the University of Saarland (Germany). She began her professional life in 1991, at the Korsholm district court, but quickly entered diplomacy. Between 1992 and 1996, she held various positions related to European law within the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and then within the European Commission. In 1996, she joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an attaché in the foreign trade relations department and the legal department.
The Middle East
From 1997, she was sent to Strasbourg and became second secretary of the permanent representation of Finland within the Council of Europe. She will stay there for four years. Then from 2001 to 2004, she was First Secretary at the Finnish Embassy in Israel. She returned to Europe in 2005, and joined the "Africa and Middle East" department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an adviser. In particular, she is responsible for the team on the Middle East peace process during Finland's EU Presidency.
Crisis management and Africa
In 2007, Sofie From Emmesberger was appointed Deputy Director of the Civil Crisis Management Department. In 2008, she took over as head, until 2011, of the human rights policy unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then from 2011 to 2015, she left as ambassador to Kenya, also in charge of Uganda, the Seychelles, Somalia and Eritrea. During this period, she was also Finland's representative to UNEP (the United Nations program for the environment). She has been a COPS ambassador since September 2015.
(NGV with LH)
(1) The Treaty of Lisbon, by kicking off the creation of the EEAS, empowered the High Representative to choose, in the field of Foreign Affairs and Defence, the chairmen of the various Council working groups in a permanent, and no longer through the rotating presidency of the EU (as for the other functions). Read our fact sheet on COPS.
Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).
