P6_TA(2005)0205

European External Action Service

European Parliament resolution on the institutional aspects of the European External Action Service

The European Parliament,

- having regard to Declaration 24 of the Conference of the representatives of the governments of the Member States on Article III-296 of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, annexed to the Final Act of 29 October 2004 of the Intergovernmental Conference on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe [1],

- having regard to the European Council conclusions of 16 and 17 December 2004, in particular points 71 to 73,

- having regard to its resolution of 12 January 2005 on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, in particular paragraph 3(d) thereof [2],

- having regard to the hearing held by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs on 15 March 2005,

- having regard to the question for oral answer concerning institutional aspects of the European External Action Service put to the Commission on behalf of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (O-0054/ 05),

- having regard to the statement made by the Commission at the sitting of 11 May 2005 in reply to that question, and the subsequent exchange of views,

- having regard to Rule 108(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the form to be taken by the future European External Action Service (EEAS) is extremely important if we wish to succeed in rendering the Union's external relations more coherent and efficient and raising their profile,

B. whereas the Secretary-General of the Council and High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Commission are to submit a joint report on progress in preparing the EEAS to the European Council at its meeting in June 2005,

C. whereas it seems desirable that the Parliament and the Commission should agree in good time on a number of issues of principle regarding the form to be taken by the EEAS,

1. Reminds the Commission that a decision to set up the EEAS cannot be taken without Parliament's agreement, and calls on the Commission, in its preparatory work on the EEAS, to put its full weight as an institution behind the objective of preserving and further developing the Community model in the Union's external relations;

2. Is convinced that, to this end, the EEAS should be incorporated, in organisational and budgetary terms, in the Commission's staff structure, while the directorial powers of the Foreign Minister, who will also be a Commission Vice-President, should ensure that the Service is bound in the "traditional" foreign policy sphere (the CFSP and the CSDP) by the decisions of the Council — as provided for by the Constitution — and subject in the Community external relations sphere to the decisions of the college of Commissioners;

3. Urges the Commission, in making future proposals, to insist on compliance with the following principles, in accordance with the tenor and purpose of the provisions of the Constitution and the spirit of the deliberations of the Convention on the Constitution:

(a) the EEAS should be staffed in appropriate and balanced proportions by officials from the Commission, the General Secretariat of the Council and national diplomatic services,

(b) the EEAS should take a form enabling the Union to act coherently in its external relations; in particular, the units dealing with CFSP matters in the stricter sense and officials holding senior positions in the delegations should be brought under the umbrella of the EEAS,

(c) it is not necessary to strip all the Commission directorates-general of their external relations responsibilities; the progress report submitted to the European Council should provide a discussion model for the departments concerned (for example the trade, development and enlargement DGs, the Europe Aid Cooperation Office, the Humanitarian Aid Office and the externally oriented units of the Economic and Financial Affairs DG),

(d) Commission delegations in non-member countries and the Council liaison offices should be merged to form "Union embassies", headed by EEAS officials, who would take their instructions from and be subject to the supervision of the Foreign Minister, but belong administratively to the Commission staff, which would not prevent specialist advisers to these delegations being recruited from other Commission or Parliament DGs;

4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

[1] OJ C 310, 16.12.2004, p. 420.

[2] Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2005)0004.

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