The EU at the OSCE

All 27 EU Member States, including Ireland, are participating States of the OSCE. The EU and the OSCE cooperate closely at all levels on security-related discussions and conflict prevention in Europe, including at field level. EU Member States contribute over two thirds of the OSCE's main budget and the EU and its Member States also contribute to the funding of a number of OSCE extra-budgetary projects.

The EU Delegation to the International Organisations in Vienna coordinates the EU policies in the OSCE on a day-to-day basis and represents the EU in the OSCE.

The main priorities of the EU in the OSCE are strengthening the OSCE’s ability to address conflicts, including early warning, conflict prevention and crisis management; modernising conventional arms control and confidence and security building measures; strengthening the implementation of all OSCE commitments, in particular those in the human dimension; and addressing transnational threats (police cooperation, border security, cyber security, fight against drugs and terrorism).

EU Presidency: July – August 2026

During the Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Permanent Mission to the OSCE has a range of additional responsibilities at the OSCE, including coordinating some EU statements, participating in a range of weekly political dialogue meetings, and ensuring that the EU can speak at the Ministerial Council, Permanent Council, Forum for Security Cooperation, and other meetings of the OSCE as needed.

Ireland is also responsible for coordinating EU Member States’ position on financial and budgetary issues, speaking on behalf of the Member States at the Advisory Committee on Management and Finance and at the Permanent Council.