The European Commission established its first office in Islamabad in 1985 which was upgraded to a Delegation in 1988. In 1992, the humanitarian arm of the European Commission (ECHO) opened its own office in Islamabad. Since the entry into force of the Treat on the Working of the European Union, better known as the Lisbon Treaty, on 1 December 2009, the EC Delegation has gradually been upgraded to a fully fledged EU Delegation to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It now represents the European Union on matters ranging from the more traditional development cooperation, trade, humanitarian assistance, and the promotion of a wide range of sectoral cooperation, including energy, environment, health, transport, migration issues and climate change but also overall EU-Pakistan political relations.

The Head of the EU Delegation is accredited to Pakistan with the rank of an Ambassador, representing the EU in Pakistan. The Delegation is responsible for the coordination among the Ambassadors and Embassies of EU Member States represented in Islamabad on matters of common interest and EU policies in a number of fields.