Commission seeks to revive EU diplomatic service plan

Date: 01/06/06

The European Commission is planning a series of measures to boost the EU's effectiveness in foreign affairs and address co-ordination problems in the absence of an agreement on creating a European foreign minister.

A Commission report, to be presented to EU leaders at their summit in Brussels on 15-16 June, says that the EU "loses potential leverage internationally" because of "unsatisfactory co-ordination between different actors and policies".

The paper, which is to be discussed at Wednesday's (7 June) meeting of commissioners, is called "Europe in the World - practical proposals for greater coherence, effectiveness and visibility". It says that while institutional changes proposed under the now derailed EU constitution would "have increased the scope to address challenges for external policy", steps could and should be taken under the current treaties to improve effectiveness.

The paper stresses that it is "not intended to reopen a debate on the future of the constitution" or "redefine the responsibilities of different actors". Instead, it urges that "the Community and intergovernmental methods need to be combined on the basis of what best achieves the desired outcome, rather than institutional theory or dogma".

The Commission warns that if institutions and member states are too focused on defending their fiefdoms, the Union's effectiveness suffers. "In the short term, individual actors and institutions may see advantages in the freedom of manoeuvre that comes from exercising their responsibilities in an autonomous way," the paper says. But in the medium and long term, the EU has shown its capacity to help member states meet their external policy objectives, while the "overall effectiveness and the global influence of the EU depend on optimal use of all available leverage".

One of the chief concerns of the paper is better strategic planning. It calls for a strengthening of the role of the external relations group of commissioners under the authority of Commission President Jos�anuel Barroso.

Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief, should be "systematically involved" in the work of the group, the report says, although there is some reservation on this issue because of fears that it might be seen as giving Solana the powers he would have had if the constitution had been approved and the post of EU foreign minister had been created.

To ensure better co-ordination between the Commission and member states, the report proposes steps which will be seen by many as an attempt to set up the European External Action Service or EU diplomatic corps envisaged under the constitution. It proposes an enhanced programme of exchanging personnel between the diplomatic services of member states and Council of Ministers staff as well as opening up national diplomatic training schemes to staff from EU institutions.

The Commission is also seeking more use of 'double-hatting', where the head of a Commission delegation takes up a role as special representative of the Council of Ministers. Erwan Fou� plays this role in the Macedonia and the paper suggests doing the same in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo. The Commission also wants to improve consular co-operation, particularly to deal with crisis situations such as the 2004 Asian tsunami.

Elmar Brok, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the European Parliament, said: "It would be helpful if delegations in third countries were better professionally. If member states could accept they were under the Commission it could be the start of the external service."

But Brok said this would still "not solve the problem of not having a single voice or structured co-operation".

The report stresses the need to make more effective use of internal policies with an external dimension such as environment, competition or energy policy. At the same time there needs to be better co-ordination between different EU policies. Otherwise, the EU's impact "falls short when there are unresolved tensions or a lack of coherence". There is not always clear consistency between external trade objectives and internal agricultural policies, the paper says, while "similar tensions arise between development policy and the environment, migration policy and development and in reconciling our commercial and economic interests with a coherent human rights policy".

UK Conservative MEP Geoffrey Van Orden said: "The Commission should cease to be so ambitious and demonstrate it is competent."

He added that "there should be better and more efficient management of resources and programmes".

Article reports on plans of the European Commission for a series of measures to boost the EU's effectiveness in foreign affairs and address co-ordination problems in the absence of an agreement on creating a European foreign minister. The Commission was due to present a paper to the European Council on 15-16 June 2006, called 'Europe in the World - practical proposals for greater coherence, effectiveness and visibility'.

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