Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica set to represent EU at Board of Peace meeting

The EU will send its Mediterranean Commissioner to the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace in Washington on Thursday, sources familiar with the matter have confirmed to Euronews.

The news comes despite concerns in Brussels over the body’s charter and governance.

Dubravka Šuica, the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, is due to travel to the US capital later this week to attend the first formal gathering of the Trump-chaired board, the sources said.

Her attendance signals that Brussels is not prepared to fully abandon cooperation with the initiative, even though most EU member states have declined formal membership and the European Commission has raised legal concerns about its structure.

A European Commission spokesperson said on Monday that Šuica would take part only in the “specific part” of the meeting dedicated to Gaza. The spokesperson added that her participation reflects the EU’s “long-standing commitment to supporting the ceasefire” and international efforts aimed at reconstruction and post-war recovery in the territory.

The spokesperson stressed that the EU is not joining the Board as an official member.

A second Commission spokesperson said the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, is “in touch” with member states to coordinate their approach to engagement with the Board.

Italy, Romania, Greece and Cyprus have accepted invitations from the Trump administration to participate as observers.

EU foreign affairs ministers are expected to discuss the issue when they meet in Brussels next week. They will be joined by Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, who has been appointed by Trump as High Representative for Gaza and tasked with linking the Board of Peace to a technocratic Palestinian committee responsible for day-to-day governance.

An EU official told Euronews the bloc is keen to play a role in Gaza’s reconstruction, despite what it described as “numerous concerns” over the Board’s executive structure. The body was initially conceived as a vehicle to rebuild the territory but has since expanded its mandate to cover “global peace”.

Brussels has also raised questions about the Board’s “scope, governance and compatibility with the UN Charter”, to which all 27 EU member states are signatories.

At the same time, the EU — the largest donor of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people — does not want to be sidelined by Washington. Since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas on 7 October 2023, the bloc has contributed €1.65 billion in assistance to the Palestinian territories.

Investigative outlet Follow the Money reported on Monday that the Tony Blair Institute had lobbied the European Commission to join the Board, citing documents obtained by its journalists. Former UK prime minister Tony Blair sits on the Board’s executive panel alongside Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Malta and the Board of Peace

In January, Prime Minister Robert Abela casually informed parliament that Malta was “informally invited” to join Trump’s Board of Peace.

Abela admitted that Malta would join the board “if it is in the national interest” regardless of whether the EU agrees with such a move. One week later, Abela said that the board’s current format is “not ideal,” but stated that change can be achieved by being at the table.

Last week, Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Chris Cutajar told parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee that Malta is currently advised not to join Trump’s Board of Peace.

He said the ministry officially considers such invitations once they are formally made, adding that as of right now, no formal invite has been sent. The Prime Minister had stated that Foreign Minister Ian Borg was the one who received the invite.

Cutajar explained that the current format of the Board of Peace does not align with the UN Security Council Resolution 2803, which endorses the US-proposed Gaza peace plan.

The Permanent Secretary went on to say that he fully believes in multi-lateralism, and doesn’t exclude Malta from working with the Board of Peace’s members to ensure peace in the Mediterranean.