Brussels, 10/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament is close to reaching an agreement with Catherine Ashton and the Spanish Presidency on setting up a European External Action Service (EEAS). The meeting on Tuesday 8 June between the three EP rapporteurs, Guy Verhofstadt, Elmar Brok and Roberto Gualtieri and Miguel Angel Moratinos (Spanish Presidency), Commissioner Maros Šefèoviè and Ashton yielded considerable progress. “There was genuine momentum in the talks. Political agreement could be reached very shortly, maybe even in the coming days,” said a source close to Ashton. There was agreement on Ashton's statement of political accountability which, it is felt in the Parliament, “reinforces the scrutiny of the Parliament over the Common Foreign and Security Policy”. There would also appear to be agreement with a statement by Ashton on the basic organisation of the EEAS central administration which satisfies the EP on the promotion of human rights and the creation of and integrated crises management and peace-building structure. However, the EP is still calling for the EEAS to be part of the Commission. Differences remain, too, on development policy. A further quadrilateral meeting is due to be held in Madrid on 11 June. (H.B./transl.rt)