The first organizational chart of the Foreign Action Service, here it is!

(BRUSSELS2 exclusive) There is not much time left to set up the European External Action Service. A first organization chart has therefore been developed at Cathy Ashton, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU. Each square is still empty. The first step is to get everyone to agree on an organization chart. Then it will be necessary to put names in front of the functions. It will be much more difficult...

In this organization chart that I was able to consult (see reconstruction below), we can note several aspects, more or less in conformity with the general note that Cathy Ashton had prepared in early March.

1. A general secretary and two deputy general secretaries. If the functions have not yet been fully identified, one will have more of an institutional task (the management of the "shop"), the other an external, more "political" task, in particular with the coordination of the COPS.

2. The organization will be multidimensional: on the one hand, the geographical DGs (there are 4 on the drawing, there could be 3 or 5 eventually, why not) and the thematic DG and the "Corporate" DG (translation: "general services"). On the other hand, there are atypical services, directly attached to the Secretary General: legal service, institutional relations, communication and public diplomacy, and finally civil-military structures.

3. The civil-military crisis management services seem to have operational autonomy, with a direct link, preserved by the "operational chain of command", with the High Representative.

 NB: " In all, from 1000 to 2000 people should work at the headquarters and in the delegations (not including local staff and administrative staff, which makes it possible to approach the figure of 8000 often quoted).

(NVP)