The UK needs a top ambassador to the EU at this critical time

There are some postings that all senior diplomats aspire to. Brussels is not usually one of them. The EU is seen as deeply bureaucratic, with its politics and policy overly technical and, well, just a bit dull. But scratch the surface and you will detect shifting alliances, disagreements and interesting proposals. This week, the Financial Times reported that Sir Tim Barrow, the UK’s ambassador to the EU, will be leaving after two years in post to become political director in the newly created Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Who will replace him is an important question. Sending the wrong person to Brussels could weaken the UK-EU relationship right as the UK launches its new Global Britain agenda. It could also cause serious damage to the UK’s long-term interests.

The UK ambassador to the EU must be a high-ranking official

Like most ambassadorial postings, the UK’s man or woman in Brussels will be responsible for informing ministers about the latest twists and turns – especially if they think that these will have bearings on the UK’s interests. He or she will need to test the waters for bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest like combatting climate change or fighting corruption. The importance of this post goes further still: with many EU rules continuing to apply in Northern Ireland, and given the volume of trade between the UK and the EU, it will also be in the UK’s interest to try and influence those rules as much as possible.

And as is often the case with diplomacy, years of experience and stature mean clout. Most EU commissioners are former national ministers or high-ranking officials themselves, so third countries have tended to appoint ambassadors with matching experience – usually officials at the level of director-general or permanent secretary. This makes it easier to get a foot through the Commission’s door. The UK would need to do the same.

The UK ambassador to the EU needs to understand the EU in its totality – not only through the prism of Brexit

As our recent report demonstrates, getting the EU to listen, let alone influence its rules, is far from easy. It requires skills and a strong understanding of the Brussels machinery: meet EU commissioners, build ties with like-minded member states and talk regularly to the EU officials who draft policy or the MEPs who vote on it. The whole of UK’s mission to the EU will need to get involved.

Of course, many new ambassadors move abroad with limited understanding of the country or organisation they are accredited to. That experience and expertise is built up over time, and then passed on to whoever replaces them. But the EU is a complex system which requires more than a crash course and some hand-over notes. Whitehall knows this: most former UK ambassadors to the EU (known then as permanent representatives) already had some experience of working with, or in Brussels.

The UK ambassador to the EU will need to rebuild trust

The new UK ambassador to the EU will be moving to Brussels at a challenging time for the EU, and UK-EU relations. He or she will need to regain the EU’s trust and do so from the position of outsider – and as a country that has just left the club.

The government might be tempted to appoint someone who has been intimately involved in the Brexit negotiations. That would be fine, providing they have had experience engaging with the EU on other policies. What the UK really needs is someone who is able to strike the right balance between standing up for the UK's interests while understanding the nuances, and views of, the EU and its member states. Having existing ties to member-state diplomats in Brussels, as well as EU officials and representatives, will go a long way.

There are two main risks when it comes to UK diplomacy in Brussels in the future. The first is the government’s failure to recognise that, even after Brexit, it will be in the UK’s own interest to try and influence the EU. And even if the UK does recognise the need to wield influence with the EU, the second risk is that it fails to appoint the right person to take on this complex job. The key to the success of any third-country ambassador to the EU is not to be the EU’s friend or champion; it is to command its trust.