EU hails birth of 'historic' diplomatic service
Steven Vanackere, Presidency - Photo EU Council
(BRUSSELS) - The European Union launched on Monday its first diplomatic corps aimed at giving the bloc a single voice on the world stage, but it now faces months of lobbying over key positions.
The European External Action Service (EEAS) was given the green light at a meeting of EU ministers, raising hopes that key posts would be filled soon so that the EEAS can begin its work as early as December.
"It is historic to be able to witness the birth, at least at the decision level, of a European diplomacy," Belgian Foreign Minister Steven Vanackere, whose country holds the EU rotating presidency, told a press conference.
"We will have to work very hard in order to be able to recruit people and to make them able to get to work for December 1," Vanackere said.
EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, who will head an army of thousands of diplomats, presented an organisation chart but she has yet to make any nominations.
"We can now move forward to build a modern, effective and distinctly European service for the 21st century," Ashton said in a statement.
"The reason is simple: Europe needs to shape up to defend better our interests and values in a world of growing complexity and fundamental power shifts," the English baroness said.
The European parliament gave its blessing for the service earlier this month after months of negotiations, notably over demands by lawmakers to have control over its budget.
Ashton now faces the task of filling sought-after posts in a union that includes 27 nations, juggling between the interests of its oldest, powerful members and the smaller, newer ones.
The EEAS was one of the main innovations of the reforming Lisbon Treaty, which came into force in December 2009. It will back up Ashton's post and help set up and coordinate Europe's foreign and defence policies.
Intense lobbying for top posts has been under way for months.
The French ambassador to Washington, Pierre Vimont, is considered the frontrunner for the job of executive secretary general.
But some grumbling has emerged over the new service.
Two former French foreign ministers recently worried that it would undermine Paris.
French European affairs minister Pierre Lellouche said France should "keep a global network" as it is "one of the rare countries to have one."
He added: "The new service will not replace states."
Text and Picture Copyright 2010 AFP. All other Copyright 2010 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.