A cross-party group of seven MEPs, led by Bert-Jan Ruissen (ECR), has formally asked the EU's foreign policy chief to detail how the European External Action Service (EEAS) will implement Parliament's repeated calls for mandatory training on freedom of religion or belief for EU diplomats. The written question, submitted on 9 June 2026, warns that religious persecution is rising globally — with Open Doors estimating 388 million Christians face persecution — and argues that EU diplomats must be equipped to engage on this issue in external relations.
The question, addressed to Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative Kaja Kallas, contains three concrete requests: a plan to implement Parliament's call for training, assurance that all EEAS staff can engage on religious freedom (including use of the existing Freedom of Religion or Belief learning platform), and details on staff and budget resources allocated to this priority. The MEPs note that Parliament already urged such training in its 2023 and 2024 discharge resolutions, but no formal EEAS response has been made public.
By tabling a written question, the MEPs are using a standard parliamentary tool to extract a binding written answer from the Commission, which typically must reply within six weeks. The answer will signal whether the EEAS intends to scale up training or maintain current voluntary tools. The question's signatories span four political groups — ECR, S&D, PPE, and NI — indicating broad concern across the chamber. Stakeholders most affected include EU diplomats (who would face new training requirements), religious communities outside the EU (who could benefit from more informed engagement), and EEAS management (which would need to allocate budget and staff). The question does not propose a specific numerical target or deadline, leaving the Commission room to define the scope and timeline of any new training programme.
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