Member states to signal broad backing for diplomatic service blueprint (original) (raw)

EU foreign ministers meeting on Monday (26 April) are expected to send a signal of broad backing for foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton’s blueprint for a diplomatic service, but a formal decision on the matter depends on the – as yet unimpressed – European Parliament.

According to diplomats speaking on Thursday, member states are generally pleased with the service outline although some technical questions remain

“The overwhelming sense is that the proposal is in the right place,” said a diplomat from a large country. Another diplomat noted that while some questions still remained, there is a “broad agreement” for the outline. For her part, Ms Ashton is expected to try and “seek as great a degree of convergence as possible on Monday.”

Among the remaining issues is the extent to which the service can offer consular services. While the fairly explicit language on this in the proposal is welcomed by small member states, others, such as Britain, believes it goes too far and want vaguer language.

Member states are also keen to make sure that they win their fair share of national diplomats in the service amid concerns it will initially be dominated by commission and Council officials. A key point for governments here is to make sure that national experts seconded from member states to deal with specific issues are not counted as part of the overall general quota.

There are also questions over the chain of command in certain instances, with the commission keen to be able to issue orders directly to delegations when it involves areas within its powers. Also up in the air is the extent to which heads of delegation are responsible for delegations’ budgets.

But even if member states were to work their way through all the discussion points by late Monday, a formal political decision on the service cannot be taken until the parliament gives its opinion on the matter.