Brussels, 25/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton will present her report on the review of the European External Action Service (EEAS) in July - a review which was discussed at the informal Foreign Affairs Council (Gymnich) in Dublin on 22-23 March. A decision of July 2010 provides for a review in mid-2013 of how the EEAS is organised and operates. The EEAS is sometimes criticised for its ineffectiveness and the member states balk at allowing it more powers. “I often speak of flying a plane without wings while at the same time you are building the wings. Now we have the plane, we must enable it to truly fly”, Ashton said. She stated that the discussion focused on how “to improve the effectiveness of the new service, looking at the internal organisation with the other institutions and cooperation on the ground between our delegations and member states' embassies”.
In her written contribution (non paper), Ashton says that the EEAS must become the policy entrepreneur of the EU's external action. She says that the review should ideally define an ambitious medium- and short-term action programme to allow the EU and the member states to make use of the full potential of the new service.
The issues of a substitute and integrating neighbourhood policy. In a joint contribution, 14 countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden) want the EU to be strengthened to ensure a more coherent, complete and integrated EU approach to external action - an approach capable of developing a long-term strategic framework in the area of foreign relations. The 14 countries say that the formalisation of arrangements for representing Ashton must be reviewed - whether she is being represented at the European Parliament or in a third country. Currently, if Ashton is not available she can be represented by the rotating Presidency, another commissioner or a deputy. This choice “can take days”, according to a European source. While the MEPs would like Ashton to have a deputy, who is politically responsible before the Parliament, the member states would prefer clarification on the substitute. The 14 countries also want the responsibility for neighbourhood policy to fall on the high representative because the high representative constitutes a key area of European foreign policy, and they want better cooperation between foreign policies and development policies.
Spain would like greater attention to be paid to Latin America. France wants supporting power for consular protection of EU citizens abroad to be conferred upon the EEAS and the EU delegations immediately. A proposal for a directive on this issue is in the process of being adopted. (CG/transl.fl)