Deal reached on setting up EU's own diplomatic corps
(BRUSSELS) - EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton secured a hard-fought agreement with the European parliament Monday, paving the way for the EU's first diplomatic corps to finally get up and running.
In a joint statement, after talks in Madrid, Ashton and representatives of the main EU institutions announced they had "reached today political agreement on the proposal" for a European External Action Service, aimed at giving Europe a stronger, more coordinated voice in global affairs.
"This agreement now allows us to move forward, I hope, with the setting up of an external action service that European Union citizens deserve, an external action service that meets the demands of the 21st century," Ashton said.
She added that she hoped the deal would be endorsed by the full European parliament and the 27 EU member states next month so that "we can have the service up and running by the autumn."
The talks involved representatives of the European Parliament, the EU Commission and the 27 member states.
They will now "seek endorsement" from their respective institutions so that the deal can be rubber-stamped by European foreign ministers next month.
The diplomatic service, comprising thousands of diplomats and functionaries was created, as was Ashton's post, by the EU's reforming Lisbon Treaty which came into force last December.
It will come under her authority, with senior posts for French, German and Polish officials under her, according to diplomatic sources.
"With Mrs Ashton, from Britain, with a French and German official, you have the major European diplomatic services in the cockpit, which is important for the service's credibility," a diplomat said.
"And with a Pole there too that would give a signal of involvement for the new member states," he added.
The external action service, which will have missions worldwide, is one of the main innovations of the reforming Lisbon Treaty. It will back up British peer Ashton and help set up and coordinate Europe's foreign and defence policies.
The new foreign service will include officials culled from the ranks of the European Commission, the EU Council -- which represents the EU member states -- as well as serving national diplomats.
EU Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso welcomed the deal saying he hoped the service would become operational "as soon as possible" and calling the deal in Madrid "a major step forward."
Monday's breakthrough, which involved Ashton flying specially to Spain and reorganising travel arrangements for an India visit, came after weeks of fraught discussion.
The lengthy negotiations had centred around concerns in the European parliament that the new body would be purely an instrument of the EU member states.
The EU parliament, handed boosted influence by the Lisbon Treaty, had sought control particularly over the EEAS budget.
Under the agreed compromise, the parliament will be able to cast an eye over some aspects of the budget, while leaving the new service autonomy to act, a diplomatic source said.
The EU parliament and commission will also have a high degree of co-decision over development aid, a major plank of the diplomatic service's functions which involves the disbursement of billions of euros.