The European Union has called on all OSCE participating States to refrain from offensive, degrading or insulting language during Permanent Council meetings, following statements made at a previous session. In a statement delivered at OSCE Permanent Council No. 1571 on 2 July 2026, the EU urged delegations to conduct discussions in a spirit of mutual respect and professionalism, in line with OSCE principles. The statement, published by the EEAS on 7 July 2026, was aligned by 15 participating States including Albania, Canada, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
The EU's intervention comes after what it described as offensive language used at the preceding Permanent Council meeting, though the statement did not specify which delegation or remarks prompted the response. The EU emphasised that respectful dialogue is essential for maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of OSCE work. The call for decorum reflects ongoing tensions within the OSCE, where diplomatic exchanges have at times become confrontational, particularly over issues related to Russia's war against Ukraine. The EU's statement serves as a reminder of the organisation's foundational principles of mutual respect, though it carries no binding enforcement mechanism. The impact is primarily diplomatic: it reinforces norms of conduct but does not introduce new rules or sanctions. For OSCE participating States, the statement may influence future discourse, while the EU and its allies signal their commitment to maintaining professional standards. The effectiveness of the appeal depends on voluntary compliance by all delegations.