Brussels, 29/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 23 April, the European Parliament committee on foreign affairs called for a greater level of coordination and synergy in terms of foreign policies between the European External Action Service (EEAS), the European Commission and the Council, in order to improve the political leadership and visibility of the EEAS. In its adoption (38 votes to 12, with one abstention) of the report by Elmar Brok (EPP, Germany) and Roberto Gualtieri (S&D, Italy), the MEPs also state that they would like the structure of the EEAS to be simplified and call for an end to the duplication of services of the Commission and the secretariat of the Council “in order to allow more effective decision-making and political responses”.
In order to ensure a greater coherence of policies, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton,is to chair the group of commissioners in charge of external affairs (development, trade, enlargement and neighbourhood). She will also be helped out by one or more “political” deputies, from among the MEPs, who will be responsible before the European Parliament.
The MEPs also want to see a greater focus on strategic planning and stressed the need to ensure greater consistency between the short- and long-term measures.
The delegations need staff with the necessary skills and qualifications to reflect and serve the needs and interests of the EU in its relations with the country or region in question, the MEPs argued. They also want these delegations to be able to offer consular protection to EU citizens of member states which are not represented in that country, stressing that any additional tasks required new resources.
The Parliament also wants to be more involved, with the new heads of delegations attending hearings before the competent parliamentary committees before they take up their duties, and calls for full political summaries of the delegations to the main stakeholders within the Parliament.
A glass half full for the rapporteurs
In the view of rapporteurs Brok and Gualtieri, “the glass is half full”. “Despite the great challenge of setting up the EEAS, which cannot be expected to be fully functional within two years of its establishment, EEAS has proven it can be an essential tool to make Europe's voice heard in the world”, Brok and Gualtieri added. “The slow reaction to some events, coupled with divisions between member states”, has shown that the Service must react far more proactively, and faster, to current events, they added.
The report is to be adopted by the EP at its June plenary session. It represents the Parliament's contribution to the 2013 examination report of the EEAS prepared by Catherine Ashton, and is expected to be published in July (see EUROPE 10814). (CG/transl.fl)