EU FOREIGN policy chief Catherine Ashton has reached political agreement with European foreign ministers on the shape of the union’s diplomatic service, a deal that leaves only MEPs standing in the way of the powerful new body being established.
The deal clarifies the European Commission’s role in senior diplomatic appointments to the European External Action Service (EAS) and the commission’s role in managing some of its funds. In line with the Lisbon Treaty, it also allows the new body to carry out a limited range of consular services.
Minister of State for Europe Dick Roche who represented the Government in the talks, said there was “work still to be done” with the European Parliament. The “EAS was still a work in progress” and it was urgent to maintain momentum, he added.
Each of the main political groups in the European Parliament has declared its opposition to the proposals from Ms Ashton, so difficult talks lie ahead on the budget of the (EAS) and the official regulations that will govern how its staff work.
Ms Ashton’s post was created under the Lisbon reform treaty to strengthen the EU’s voice and role in global affairs. Even if she overcomes MEPs’ resistance to her plans, diplomats say it could be late 2011 before the new body reaches “cruising speed”.
Diplomatic sources say there is mounting frustration among member states at the parliament’s stance, saying US diplomats have expressed concern about the slow progress towards the establishment of the EAS.
Even though MEPs have little real power to dictate the structure of the EAS, they can veto its budget and staff regulations.
The parliament has twice shown its strength in recent months by blocking Bulgaria’s first nominee to the new European Commission and voting down arrangements for the transfer of banking data to US anti-terrorism officials. Months of diplomatic talks with member states reached their conclusion last night with an agreement on how the EAS will carry out its work.
The commission will have a say over the shortlist of candidates of which Ms Ashton assigns top diplomatic postings in 136 EAS delegations around the world. The commission will also be responsible for the technical implementation of the EUs common foreign and security policy budget and a special fund to promote good government and democracy around the world.
The new body, which will be under Ms Ashton’s direct control, will be managed day-by-day by a secretary general and two deputy secretaries general.
The secretary general will be known as executive director of the EAS and will be empowered to deputise for Ms Ashton.
The deputy secretaries general will be its political director, in charge of policy, and its executive director, who will be in charge of operations.
David O’Sullivan, the Irishman who is the top civil servant in the trade division of the commission, is understood to be in contention for one of these three posts.
Ms Ashton is in the process of assigning senior diplomats to head the EAS delegations in more than 30 international locations.
About 10 Irish diplomats have applied for these positions.