29/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - Elmar Brok (EPP), co-rapporteur at the European Parliament on establishing the European External Action Service (EEAS), has defended the political agreement negotiated on 21 June in Madrid with the other institutions (EUROPE 10164, and full text published in EUROPE/Documents of 24 June). “Things have improved considerably” compared to Catherine Ashton's initial proposal in March, said Brok addressing the foreign affairs committee on Monday 27 June. He suggested the parliamentary committee should support the agreement during a vote on 6 July. Speaking on behalf of their respective groups, María Muñiz de Urquiza (S&D, Spain), Annemarie Neyts (ALDE, Belgium) and Ulrike Lunacek (Greens, Austria) also took a stance in favour of a vote in July. British Conservative Charles Tannock (ECR) said his group could live with the compromise but that he would have liked to see a “smaller and more intergovernmental diplomatic service”. The GUE/NGL Group has announced amendments aimed at reducing the militarisation of the EEAS. The conference of presidents of the EP is to decide on Thursday 1 July whether the report will be put to the vote during the July plenary. (H.B./transl.jl).