Press release
Parliament wants power of scrutiny over EU diplomatic service
Constitutional affairs - 22-10-2009 - 13:15
Plenary sessions
Plenary sessions
The European Parliament has issued a call for the planned EU diplomatic service to be part of the Commission administrative structure and be funded from the Commission budget. This set-up would make the service subject to democratic oversight by the Parliament.
The European External Action Service (EEAS) is due to be established under the Lisbon Treaty. It will consist of officials from the Commission, Council and Member States and will assist the High Representative for external relations. The Council is to decide how to organise the service on the basis of a proposal from the High Representative after consulting the Parliament and obtaining the consent of the Commission.
Diplomatic service must be part of Commission administration
However, in a resolution adopted on Thursday by 424 votes to 94 with 30 abstentions, MEPs call on the Commission "to put its full weight" behind preserving the Community model in EU external relations. They say "the EEAS must be incorporated into the Commission's administrative structure". However, some fields of current Commission external relations need not be assigned to the EEAS if a "specific model" is provided for them.
MEPs believe that Commission delegations in third countries, as well as Council liaison and EU Special Representative offices, should be merged to form "Union embassies", headed by EEAS staff which would be answerable to the High Representative, who will also be Vice-President of the Commission responsible for external relations.
Don't waste time on controversies, say MEPs
Parliament also points out that "the establishment of the EEAS must include agreement on the budgetary issues" and "reiterates its determination to exercise its budgetary powers to the full in connection with these institutional innovations".
Today's resolution also says the Commission Vice-President-designate will be asked to state a position on the EEAS during the parliamentary hearings held as part of the appointment of the new Commission.
MEPs recommend "that political agreement be reached with Parliament on all issues at an early stage in order to avoid valuable time being wasted on political controversies about the form to be taken by the EEAS after the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon".
Today's resolution was drafted on behalf of the Constitutional Affairs Committee by Elmar Brok (EPP, DE).
REF.: 20091021IPR62945