Brussels, 01/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - It was with the greatest discretion and in a certain indifference that the new European External Action Service (EEAS) officially began work on Wednesday 1 December in somewhat improvised fashion. In reality, Catherine Ashton's Service is far from being operational. Three of the service's four administrative chiefs took up their posts on Wednesday morning: Frenchman Pierre Vimont, the Executive Secretary General, Irishman David O'Sullivan, the Administrative Director General, and German Helga Schmid, the Deputy Secretary General.
The second Deputy Secretary General, Pole Maciej Popowski, who currently heads the private office of European Parliament (EP) President Jerzy Buzek, will take up his post only on 1 January 2011. Popowski will remain in position at the EP until that date, “though he is already actively working for the EEAS,” sources have said.
As the EEAS still does not have its own premises - the move into the “Triangle” Building at the Schuman Roundabout is not due to take place before spring 2011 - the offices of the heads of the EEAS are, for the moment, spread among the Commission departments (Relex) in the Charlemagne Building (Vimont and O'Sullivan) and the Council (Schmid). There is another sizeable problem: currently at least, no agreement has been found on the EU budget for 2011, which contains a budget specifically for the EEAS. Until the budget is approved, officials from the Commission (DG Relex) and the Council Secretariat cannot be transferred to the EEAS. All these officials will, therefore, continue to work in their respective institutions. The organisation chart for the Service has also yet to be completed, with the heads of the various geographic and thematic directorates general still to be appointed. Ashton will make these appointments before the end of the year, our sources have said.
To mark the launch on Wednesday, Ashton brought together in Brussels the 130 heads of EU delegations in third countries, setting out her “priorities” for the Service for them. The meeting was held behind closed doors. In early evening, her speech had still to be made public (EUROPE will return to it).
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle welcomed the launch of the EEAS which will mean that the EU can “speak with one single voice” throughout the world. The Service will give the EU “additional clout” on the international stage enabling it to act as a “global player”, Westerwelle said. (H.B./transl.rt)