Personal Information:
H.E. Lucie Berger, took on the role of European Union Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates in September 2023. Born on January 17, 1983, in Prague, Ms Berger is fluent in Czech, English, and French, with proficiency in Arabic, German, and Spanish.
Education and Training:
Ms Berger holds a Master's degree in European Integration from the University of Economics in Prague, with expertise in European law, policies, and economics. Her thesis examined workers’ mobility following the 2004 enlargement of the European Union. Her academic journey included political science, diplomacy, and international relations. She also holds a Bachelor's degree in International Trade.
Professional Experience:
Ms Berger's career in international diplomacy spans over a decade and is marked by notable achievements.
From 2022 to 2023, she served as the Policy Coordinator in European Commission's DG Climate Action (Brussels, Belgium). In this role, she oversaw trade negotiations and climate measures within trade policy, negotiated free trade agreements, and coordinated trade and sustainable development matters.
From 2018 to 2022, Ms. Berger held the position of EU Representative in International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in Geneva, Switzerland. During this tenure, she represented the EU and its Member States in these organizations, developed a digital diplomacy strategy, and led negotiations.
Between 2015 and 2018, she served as the Head of Trade and Economic Affairs in the Gulf at the Delegation of the European Union in Riyadh. She focused on formulating trade and economic cooperation policies between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as well as its six members, including the UAE. In this role, she launched for example the EU-GCC Trade and Investment Dialogue and initiated the EU-GCC Dialogue on Economic Diversification project.
From 2012 to 2015, Ms. Berger was the Policy Officer for Climate Action in the Middle East and North Africa region and the Gulf at the European Commission's DG Climate Action (Brussels, Belgium). In this capacity, she developed climate action cooperation strategies at regional and bilateral level. She for example organised the first Union for the Mediterranean Ministerial Meeting on Environment and Climate Change in 2014, and led negotiations in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) related to the secondary impacts of climate mitigation measures on single commodity economies including the oil-producing countries.
From 2006 to 2012, Ms. Berger held various roles within the European Commission, including an internship in the Spokespersons’ service, project management in DG Justice, Freedom, and Security, and a significant position as a Policy Officer for the Integrated Maritime Policy in the Mediterranean, where she managed cooperation strategies and participated in fisheries negotiations.
Ms. Berger's impressive linguistic skills and extensive experience in diplomacy make her a valuable asset to the EU as Ambassador to the UAE. Her dedication to international relations, security and sustainability issues will contribute to strengthening EU-UAE relations and promoting bilateral cooperation.
