New EU foreign policy chief faces MEP critics

(BRUSSELS) - New EU foreign policy supremo Catherine Ashton endured a grilling from the European parliament on Wednesday, declaring herself the right person for the job, though admitting she was surprised to get it.

"I have no doubts about my own ability," the British peer told members of the parliament's foreign affairs committee, amid some firm questioning on her lack of foreign policy experience and low-profile internationally.

"I imagine that my appointment may have come as somewhat of a surprise to many of you, perhaps to all of you. It was quite a surprise for me too," admitted the woman who was EU trade commissioner last week.

Asked whether she could "stop the traffic" when she visits foreign capitals, Ashton, 53, replied that she had no intention of doing so.

"I want to keep the traffic moving,"she told them.

"What really matters to us is that we, in many different ways, make it clear what the EU stands for, the values that we hold and that we play our part in making things work better."

This was a pre-hearing in the parliament ahead of a full sitting next month in the chamber which must approve Ashton in her job, as it also comes with the position of vice-president of the European Commission.

German MEP Elmer Brok, a senior figure in the conservative European People's party, called this first hearing "disappointing," adding that a final verdict on her would have to wait for the hearing in January.

Ashton's job as high representative for foreign affairs and security was created by the EU's reforming Lisbon Treaty, which came into force on Tuesday.

Former Belgian prime minister Herman Van Rompuy became the EU's first president under the treaty but is keeping a low profile until the end of the Swedish EU presidency on December 31.

There have been some criticism in Brussels and national capitals of the choice of such a low-key pairing to lead the EU into what Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt described Tuesday as "a new era".

Recalling that she was chosen by the 27 European heads of state and government, rather than the European parliament, Ashton said that though she "may not be your choice," she was theirs.

She gave few clues on her foreign policy ideas or agenda, often reminding the parliament that this was just her second day in the job or that the chamber's strict time rules did not allow a detailed exposition.

She said she intended to launch a review of the EU's external policy in key areas such as the Middle East, Iran, the Balkans, Afghanistan and Africa, because "I need to increase my understanding of what we need to do and how to do it."

"It could be an advantage to you that I come to this with a blank sheet of paper," she assured the assembled Euro MPs.

Not everyone agreed: "I'm very concerned that you haven't been able to answer many questions," one MEP huffed.

Greens MEP Franziska Brantner said Ashton had showed she was quick-witted and willing to listen but had not displayed the "capacity for leadership and her vision for the EU on the world stage."

Ashton was keen to assure the Euro MPs that she "won't be an extension of the British government," which is sometimes deemed in Brussels to take a more transatlantic view of world affairs.

"I am known to be pro-European in my own country and I am very proud to be known as that," she said.

The former Labour minister was also questioned on her role as treasurer of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the early 1980s and accusations that the anti-nuclear group accepted funds from the Soviet bloc.

While stating that "I did not take any direct money from any communist country," she added that much of the group's money was collected in the form of coins and notes in buckets during protests and marches.

"If I can't tell you where all the money in the buckets came from, I don't think you will be surprised," she said.