Brussels, 21/04/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 21 April 2010, COREPER continued discussions on the proposals unveiled by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on the structure and operations of the EEAS (European External Action Service), the EU's new diplomatic corps. Sources close to Ashton said that work was going in the right direction and agreement was close. It seems, however, unlikely that EU foreign ministers at their meeting in Luxembourg on Monday 26 April 2010 will be able to reach agreement in principle on the draft decision, that the EP has yet to give its opinion on. Catherine Ashton's proposal has been amended slightly in recent days to meet the demands of the Member States and the EP with regard to how the service will operate. Rather than a pyramid structure topped by a single secretary general, there is a movement towards a triumvirate of three secretary generals. The EP is still unhappy and threatening to use its codecision powers on budget and staffing issues to block the whole dossier. The chairs of the EP's three biggest political parties, Joseph Daul (EPP), Martin Schulz (S&D) and Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE), said on Wednesday that they would oppose attempts to intergovernmentalise that have been pressing down on the creation of the new service. They say the draft agreement discussed at COREPER does not reflect EU interest, instead giving the nod to a return to intergovernmentalism. They say the EP will remain 'firm' and defend the Community Method and is determined to use all the means available to it under codecision. (H.B. trans fl)