Brussels, 22/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - The European External Action Service, which was officially launched on 1 December, will become genuinely operational only from 1 January 2011 when some 1,643 officials will be transferred from the Commission and Council to the new service headed by Catherine Ashton. Only two weeks ago, there were fears that this transfer would be delayed because of disagreements between the European Parliament and the Council over the 2011 budget (which contains a separate budget for the EEAS) but the last-minute agreement reached last week lifted that threat. Of the 1,643 officials who will join the service, 585 will come from Directorate General (DG) Relex of the Commission in Brussels, 93 from DG Development, 436 are currently in post in Commission delegations abroad and 411 will come from DG External and Politico-Military Affairs of the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers. To these will be added 118 new posts which are currently being created or will be created in the course of 2011. With the transfer of its 585 Brussels-based officials, the Commission's DG Relex will cease to exist. Not all staff of DG Development have not been transferred to the EEAS: the remaining part will be merged with DG External Cooperation Programmes (AIDCO) to form a new DG Development Cooperation (DEVCO). (H.B./transl.rt)