EU Commissioner Dubravka Suica will travel to Washington this week to attend a meeting of the Board of Peace, as set up by US President Donald Trump, in her capacity as an observer, a spokesperson for the EU Commission said on Monday.
"The EU Commission is not becoming a member to the board of peace, we are participating in this meeting precisely in our longstanding commitment to the implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza, as well as to take part in international efforts to support reconstruction and the post-war recovery in Gaza," spokesperson Guillaume Mercier told reporters.
European officials worried Board of Peace aims to replace UN
Prior to this announcement, US President Donald Trump invited the European Union to join Gaza's Board of Peace, but European officials expressed hesitancy, worried that the board aims to supplant established bodies such as the United Nations, Maariv reported last month.
EU officials and diplomats told the Israeli outlet that the proposal was being carefully considered in Brussels, and that, at that point, no commitment had been made.
According to a source in the European Union, the invitation was extended to the EU as a collective entity, not just to individual countries. "We received an official invitation, and we are taking it seriously," said the source. However, they clarified that no immediate decision was expected.