Being diplomatic

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton was a week ahead of her due date when she presented her blueprint for how the body's new diplomatic service should work. But it doesn't seem to have won her any bonus points with the EU bodies that must approve her plans.

In a rare show of consensus, the main political groups in the European Parliament (EP) crossed party lines to criticize what they called a lack of responsibility and transparency.

"A coherent and effective foreign policy service must be fully accountable to the European Parliament in budgetary and political terms," the parties said in a joint statement.

They also criticized her plans to create the post of a "French style" secretary general.

"We reject the idea of a French-style secretary-general, lurking like a spider in the middle of his web," conservative German EP member Elmar Brok said earlier this week.

'Punching their weight'

Ashton has been charged with developing a plan for how the newly created External Action Service (EAS) would work. The service would oversee the EU's development projects inside and outside of Europe and could grow to include up to 7,000 diplomats and civil servants once fully staffed.

"We have to adapt to a world of growing complexity and fundamental power shifts," Ashton said. "We can only punch our weight if we are able to bring together all the instruments, economic, political, development, and security, crisis management and long-term engagement in support of a single political strategy."

Her blueprint would give herself and the EAS the power to make strategic decisions about how much money developing countries should get from the EU. But the European Commission would still have significant influence, especially when it came to implementing policy.

"I think it's a perfect solution of synergy between ... the role of the commissioners and the role of the external action service," Ashton said in a press conference on Thursday.

Member states had wanted EAS to bear responsibility for the development aid budget, which is currently under the control of the European Commission. The commission had wanted to retain their control.

Ashton's proposal would put her at the head of the EU's three main areas of development assistance, with a powerful secretary general and two deputies beneath him or her. Opponents said Ashton would need a political deputy who could carry out her directives at EU meetings that she could not attend herself.

Her plan did find some allies. The European Commission backed the plan, and it was welcomed by German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, although he said it would "need further explanation."

svs/AFP/Reuters/dpa
Editor: Nancy Isenson