THE U.S. BUREAU OF EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN AFFAIRS

In the United States Government, the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs (EUR) is part of the U.S. Department of State, charged with implementing U.S. foreign policy and promoting U.S. interests in Europe and Eurasia (which it defines as being Europe, Turkey, Cyprus, the Caucasus Region and Russia) as well as advising the Under Secretary for Political Affairs. It is headed by the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.

Organization

The offices of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs direct, coordinate, and supervise U.S. government activities within the region, including political, economic, consular, public diplomacy ,  and administrative management issues.

1. Joint Executive Office: Oversees the bureau's human resources; shared with the Bureau of International Organization Affairs.
2. Office of the Coordinator of the U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia (EUR/ACE): Coordinates policy regarding the European Union, the European Commission, the European Council, the European Parliament, and the Council of Europe. EUR/ACE oversees U.S. Government assistance to twenty-one states of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. EUR/ACE supports these states in their transition to free-market democracy through programs which promote democracy and good governance, economic growth, and social development, work to meet humanitarian needs, and strengthen security and law enforcement. EUR/ACE coordinates between U.S. foreign policy makers and agencies implementing assistance, carries out strategic and budgetary planning exercises to ensure the linkage of assistance to U.S. foreign policy goals, and acts a liaison to the Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. Congress.
3. Office of Caucasus Affairs and Regional Conflicts (EUR/CARC): EUR/CARC manages U.S. bilateral relations with the countries of the Southern Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. It also has the lead on working to promote peaceful resolutions in conflict areas within the region, namely Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia, as well as Transnistria. The office works closely with other offices within the Department of State, as well local foreign embassies, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the United Nations.
4. Office of European Union Regional Affairs (EUR/ERA): EUR/ERA develops recommendations and coordinates action on all policies related to the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the UN Economic Commission for Europe; Coordinates Department preparation for Group of Seven/Eight (G-7/8) summits, foreign minister meetings, and political director meetings; Coordinates Bureau positions on economic and commercial issues involving multiple European countries and Fosters people-to-people contacts with European civil society.
5. Office of Austrian, German, and Swiss Affairs (EUR/AGS): EUR/AGS plays an integral role in formulating, coordinating and transmitting U.S. policies related to Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Liechtenstein. These policies encompass issues ranging from securing peace and freedom in the Middle East and developing common strategies for engaging Russia to expanding U.S. economic opportunities in the European Union and developing new forms of international environmental cooperation. It coordinates between U.S. Embassies and Consulates in the AGS countries and the State Department and other U.S. government agencies to ensure that information reaches the right people at the right time. EUR/AGS also conducts extensive “outreach” with U.S., German, Austrian, and Swiss think tanks, educational institutions, and media, explaining U.S. positions and perceptions on current issues to the people and organizations that influence those countries’ elite and popular opinion.
6. Office of North Central European Affairs (EUR/NCE):  EUR/NCE is the focal point for U.S. Government policy and overall management of bilateral relationships with Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovenia. EUR/NCE works closely with the range of U.S. government agencies to coordinate policy and supports the work of U.S. missions in NCE countries. As recently transitioned democracies, NATO allies, EU members, and emerging donors, the U.S. Government has dynamic and multi-faceted relationships with each of the countries, not only pursuing bilateral interests but also working together with them as partners in addressing global priorities.
7. Office of Nordic and Baltic Affairs  (EUR/NB): EUR/NB is responsible for managing U.S. relations with the eight countries of the Nordic and Baltic regions: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden. Four country desk officers in EUR/NB coordinate all aspects of U.S. policy toward those countries, from political, security, and economic to travel and cultural relations. The office works with many other offices in the European and Eurasian Bureau and throughout the State Department, as well as with almost every other federal agency. In addition to the four country desk officer positions, EUR/NB includes an Office Director, a Deputy Office Director, two Office Management Specialists, and often one or two interns.
8. Office of Policy and Global Issues  (EUR/PGI): EUR/PGI leads the EUR Bureau’s policy development and response on the full range of global issues (terrorism, crime, corruption, counter-narcotics, democracy/labor, human rights, religious freedom, trafficking in persons, environment, science and technology, health, refugees and United Nations issues), directs the Bureau’s strategic planning process, and spearheads EUR’s outreach to the Congress, Diaspora groups, Muslim communities in Europe, and nongovernmental organizations with an interest in the region. The Office reports to the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and through him/her to the Assistant Secretary.
9. Office of Press and Policy Outreach (EUR/PPD/PA): EUR/PPD/PA plays an integral role in transmitting the State Department’s messages to U.S. and foreign audiences. EUR/PPD/PA works with the Department’s Spokesperson to prepare for daily press briefings, coordinates with the press offices in European embassies and consulates, and works with foreign and domestic correspondents covering the State Department. EUR/PPD/PA also coordinates speaking opportunities for senior Department officials and manages the Bureau’s content on the State Department website.
10. Office of Public Diplomacy (EUR/PPD): EUR/PPD is unique in that it covers all 46 countries in EUR and multilateral organizations including the EU and NATO, as well as the full spectrum of issues driving US diplomacy in the region. The office also works closely with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and the Office of International Information Programs (IIP) to coordinate exchange programs, speaker programs, and cultural diplomacy programs with U.S. embassies in Europe and Eurasia. EUR/PPD serves as the link between Public Affairs Officers overseas and their respective geographic desk offices in EUR, and works closely with posts in the development and implementation of U.S. public diplomacy strategy for each country and for the region.
11. Office of Policy and Regional Affairs (EUR/PRA):  EUR/PRA leads on developing and coordinating U.S. nonproliferation and arms control security interests with other agencies and offices in the Department. The office takes the lead in planning, formulating and implementing EUR Bureau policy for security assistance issues involving Foreign Military Funding (FMF), International Military Education Training (IMET), and Peacekeeping Operations (PKO). Sanctions policy in Europe and Eurasia, missile defense, nonproliferation, and border security also come under EUR/PRA responsibility as well as; monitoring the disposition of highly enriched uranium (HEU), civil nuclear cooperation in Europe and Eurasia. Bureau coordination of efforts for abatement of Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) and Small Arms/Light Weapons (SA/LW), as well as collaborative space issues involving the international space station (liaison with Department of Energy, NASA, and the European Space Agency), are a large component of the work.
12. Office of European Security and Political Affairs  (EUR/RPM): EUR/RPM manages political-military issues in U.S. relations with European and Eurasian states. EUR/RPM develops policy relating to NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) while also managing a range of bilateral and multilateral security negotiations, including on conventional forces and arms control issues relating to Russia.
13. Office of Russian Affairs (EUR/RUS): EUR/RUS is responsible for the development and implementation of U.S. policy toward Russia. Examples of EUR/RUS’s work include policy coordination on human rights, bilateral relations, U.S.-Russia energy cooperation, non-proliferation, and numerous political related work.
14. Office of South Central European Affairs (EUR/SCE): EUR/SCE covers the full spectrum of issues driving US diplomacy in the dynamic Balkans region, including Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia, Albania, Macedonia, and Montenegro. The office directs, coordinates and supervises U.S. government activities within these countries, acting as a liaison between US Embassies overseas and Washington. Desk officers within the office also work closely with foreign missions in Washington to gather and convey information in support of US foreign policy. EUR/SCE offers the opportunity to do multilateral work related to NATO, the OSCE, the UN and the European Union. The office also works closely with the State Department’s functional bureaus, including the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, and the Office of Population, Refugees and Migration to coordinate policy for the region.
15. Office of Southern European Affairs (EUR/SE):  EUR/SE helps formulate U.S. policy on and maintain relations with Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey. SE issues include the resolution of the Cyprus conflict, energy security, EU issues, NATO partnership, human rights issues and counter-terrorism.
16. Office of Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarusian Affairs (EUR/UMB): EUR/UMB coordinates U.S. foreign policy with Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. It serves as the link between the U.S. three embassies, bureaus and offices within the Department, and a wide range of U.S. Government agencies. The Office works closely with posts in the development and implementation of U.S. political and economic strategy for each country and for the region. The  overarching goal is to help these countries develop into nations that are democratic, prosperous, secure within their own borders, and free to become full partners in the Euro-Atlantic community.
17. Office of UK, Benelux, and Ireland Affairs (EUR/UBI): EUR/UBI manages relations with the United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Ireland. Working closely with the U.S. embassies overseas, the office formulates and executes U.S. policies, draft briefing materials for U.S. officials, organize visits, and support embassy management. Much of the  engagement with foreign governments focuses on multilateral affairs such as fighting terrorism, responding to natural disasters, and promoting democracy.
18. Office of Western European Affairs (EUR/WE):  EUR/WE oversees bilateral relations and participates in policy formulation for Portugal, Spain, Andorra, France, Monaco, Italy, San Marino, the Vatican, and Malta.
19. Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues (EUR/OHI): EUR/OHI is responsible for developing and implementing U.S. policy with respect to the return of Holocaust-era assets to their rightful owners, compensation for wrongs committed during the Holocaust, and Holocaust education and remembrance. In seeking a measure of justice for Holocaust survivors and their heirs, OHI monitors and promotes the implementation of previously negotiated agreements on restitution and compensation, and advocates for the development of such programs where none yet exist. OHI also works with European countries and international organizations to promote memorials and educational programs that accurately and responsibly commemorate and document the horrors of the Holocaust. OHI also works closely with the State Department’s Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating anti-Semitism.