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External Action Service - a new dawn in EU foreign policy?
External relations - 27-10-2009 - 12:19
EuroparlTV: Battle lines drawn in foreign affairs
One of the innovations of the new Lisbon Treaty is the creation of a new European External Action Service (EEAS), intended as a diplomatic corps that will oversee not only Europe's huge aid and humanitarian budget but also relations with countries around the world. At the head of this will be the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy who will also be a European Commission Vice-President. In Strasbourg last week (22 October) MEPs discussed the new EEAS.
It is expected to include 130 existing Commission delegations, which will become "EU delegations" and will be staffed by civil servants from the Commission, the Council of the European Union and national foreign ministries.
They will be answerable to the High Representative with the aim of increasing the impact and coherence of the EU's foreign policy. It could also go a long way to solving the dilemma posed by former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger who asked "who should I call?" when looking for European diplomats.
MEPs last week called for the new service to come under the European Commission's budget so as to allow as much parliamentary scrutiny as possible.
EEAS will not replace your foreign ministry
The EP resolution also says the EEAS should complement the diplomatic services of EU States rather than replacing them.
Moreover it recommends "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".
The man who drafted the own initiative report that the resolution was based on was veteran German Christian Democrat Elmar Brok.
"Global player, not just a global payer"
He said that with a new High Representative and the EEAS the EU will have "the economic strength and the ability to translate it into politics. Europe will be an important political force. We must make Europe a global player, not just a global payer."
When asked who Mr Kissinger's heirs should call he said: "I believe in fact that this address must be the High Representative and Vice-President of the Commission. It must be clear that this is the only one responsible for operational foreign policy."
European leaders meet this Thursday and Friday (29-30 October) in Brussels to discuss the next steps for the Lisbon Treaty. Likely to be debated will be some possible names for the post of High Representative.
REF.: 20091023STO63115