Brussels, 11/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - - On Tuesday, the EP will be debating the report of Gerardo Galeote Quecedo (Spain) on a Commission statement concerning developments regarding its external relations services. This signifies the rapporteur's agreement on the Commission statement guidelines, even if it is critical of the Commission proposals and their lack of ambition, preciseness and firmness.
Over the years, the extension of the Community external relations remit and the development of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), have seen further demands being placed on Commission delegations, with the Commission effectively deciding on the reshaping of the different Directorate generals and the "Relex" services (external relations). It is in this framework that the European Parliament will debate the Communication, which will essentially focus on the reconfiguration of the Commission delegations network and their strengthening, with the object of obtaining the foreign aid management reforms launched on the initiative of Commissioner Chris Patten. It is in this connection that the Commission considers that the exponential growth in the volume of European Union aid requires a certain adjustment in its human resources, management structure and instruments and a decentralisation that would shift responsibility for development aid from the centre at the Commission to the beneficiary countries themselves. The Commission is keen to stress the necessity of increasing human resources, improving equipment (particularly information technology systems) and adopting a certain number of related measures (training, for example) but the rapporteur has expressed his dissatisfaction with the Commission for dragging its feet on the question of decentralisation.
Mr Galeote Quecedo emphasised that the delegations did depend on the Commission but enjoyed a role that was far greater than the Community as a whole. He believed that it would be a positive step to back the situation up by giving it a legal basis, transforming the Commission delegations into Community delegations and tightening the links between these delegations and the European Parliament. The rapporteur also asked for the setting up of permanent information channels between the delegations and European Parliament and regretted that the Commission statement touched too fleetingly on the training of European civil servants, and proposed the creation of a European Community school for diplomats. Mr Galeote Quecedo also criticised the Commission for barely mentioning the question of collaboration between delegations and the diplomatic services of Member States. He believes diplomats from Member States should be part of the emerging Community diplomatic service by way of a bridging system, which would allow for temporary integration into the Commission external relations services.
Welcoming moves for a realignment between European civil servants and local agents, Mr Galeote Quecedo gave his support to Commission initiatives to regionalise certain delegations, namely, to enable them to perform a role in relation to neighbouring countries, but on the condition that there were a provision guaranteeing the presence of specialised staff in these countries representing the interests of the European Community in the regions in question. Mr Galeote Quecedo supported the opening of new delegations as proposed by the Commission and added a number of other countries and regions, to the European Parliament list where delegations could be opened: the Gulf states, Saudi Arabia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Switzerland.