With whom rules Ashton (2): the Foreign Action Service (today)

(BRUSSELS2) To her super-diplomat hat, Catherine Ashton must add that of super HRD, to first of all draw up the organization chart of the future European External Action Service (EEAS), then to fill in the "boxes" with directors.

To get an idea of ​​where we are starting from, here are the main current heads of the various services, with a biography (more or less long) and their nationality. We will notice a certain presence of the British, the Dutch and the French - which is not illogical - and a little less of the Germans - which is less logical. Attention ! Some information still needs to be completed.

I. Central Services

• DG Relex (European Commission): 

The current DG Relex, Joao Vale De Almeida (Portuguese), former chief of staff to Commission President Barroso (2004-2009), is about to leave for the EU embassy in Washington. In the meantime, the position may be filled by an Acting Director General.

Three Deputy Directors General (DGA)

- Karel Kovanda (Czech) - responsible for CFSP, multilateral relations, North America, East Asia and the Pacific. Czech diplomat. Born in October 1944 in Gilsland, Great Britain, he graduated from the Prague School of Agriculture, has a doctorate in political science from MIT (1975) and an MBA from Pepperdine University in California (1985). Reader at the University of Southern California, he then carried out various activities from consultant at Radio Beijing to manager of a private company, translator or freelance journalist in the USA (1980-1990). On his return to the Czech Republic in 1991, he became head of the administrative section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1991-93), then political director, in charge of bilateral relations with Europe and North America. Permanent representative to the United Nations (1994-95) then to the Security Council (1996) and to the Economic and Social Council of the UN, he became Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs under Vaclav Havel (1997-1998) then Ambassador to the NATO in Brussels (1998-2005).

- Hughes Mingarelli (French) - in charge of Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia, Middle East and South Mediterranean. A former member of the Agency for Reconstruction in the former Yugoslavia (2000-2002), responsible for Ukraine Belarus, Moldova and former Cei relations in the External Relations DG (1999-2000), desk officer Nigeria DG Development (before 1990), at the Court of Auditors (1982-87).

- Stephen Sannino (Italian): Asia, Latin America. Italian diplomat, former member of the Prodi cabinet. As an Italian diplomat, he held various positions, including Deputy Head of Mission at the Italian Embassy in Belgrade (1993-1995) and Head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission to of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (2001-2002), before joining the European Commission. He joined the European Commission and the Prodi cabinet in 2002, as advisor for external relations
and trade. He was notably the Sherpa at the G8. In 2005, he was appointed director in charge of the crisis platform and representative to the COPS, within DG Relex. From 2006 to 2008, he was seconded to the Italian Prime Minister's Office as G8 Sherpa and Senior Advisor for EU and International Affairs, before returning to the Commission in 2008 as Director for Latin America.

Three directors, reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer

- Director I (Resources at headquarters, information, inter-institutional relations):
Tung Lai Margue (Luxembourgish), a former DG Justice, responsible in particular for the fight against terrorism.

- Director K (external service): Patrick Child (British), former chief of staff to Chris Patten and Benita Ferrero-Waldner (Commissioner for External Relations), DG Enlargement.

- Director L (Strategy, coordination and analysis): Gerhard Sabathil (German)

• DG E (external affairs) (Council)

directed by robert cooper (British)

- the Policy unit is headed by Helga Schmid (German)

Civil-military structures (Council and High Representative).

• The EU Military Staff (DG EUMS): General David Leakey (British) then General Ton Van Osch (Dutch), from May.

Deputy: Rear Admiral Fernando Lista (Spanish)

• The Civil-Military Directorate (CPMD): Claude-France Arnould (French). Read : Claude-France Arnould takes the helm of the new management.

• The Civil Staff (CPCC): Kees Klompenhouwer (Dutch)

• The Intelligence Center (SITCEN): William Shapcott (British), former Foreign Office diplomat.

The external service - proper = EU embassies - will be made up of EC delegations and EU delegations or even special representatives.

• EC Delegations. The Commission has approximately 134 delegations in third countries and candidate countries (thedirectory of delegations). Some only have a few people, others several dozen. In all, they employ nearly 5.400 people. Be already a very serious embryo for the future diplomatic service. Last opening to date: Tripoli (Libya). Certain countries, on the other hand, are not covered: Iran for example.

• EU Delegations. There are in particular in the international organizations at the UN in Geneva and New York. It is these two missions that should merge the fastest.

To this must be added the EU's civilian and military missions, which should not - as such - be part of the EEAS, but nevertheless have staff already distributed in several hot spots of the globe (Kosovo, Indian Ocean , Georgia, Afghanistan, Palestine, Congo, Guinea-Bissau Iraq).

These committees continue to exist and work within the Foreign Affairs Council whose work they prepare. Only two of them are expressly provided for by the Treaties: the PSC and the Military Committee. The others are provided for by the internal regulations of the Board

- Political and Security Committee (COPS): fixed chairman, to be appointed by the High Representative, spanish ambassador waiting.

- Military Committee: General Hakan Syren (Swedish), fixed presidency for three years, elected by his peers

- ESDP and PESC Committees (1): Spanish presidency until June 30, fixed from July 1, to be appointed by the High Representative.

- Geographical Committees (2): Spanish presidency until June 30, Belgian until December 31, fixed from January 1, 2011, to be appointed by the High Representative.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

(1) Politico-military group (PMG), civilian crisis management group (CIVCOM), arms policy (COARM) — as well as certain horizontal foreign policy committees (PESC): the Nicolaidais Group (which supports the CFSP, COHOM (human rights), COSCE (Osce and Council of Europe), CONUN (United Nations, protocol and administrative affairs of the CFSP (COADM), CODUN (arms control and disarmament ), CONOP (non-proliferation), COARM (conventional arms export).

(2) Geographical Committees: Mashreq/Maghreb (COMAG/Mama), Central Asia and Eastern Europe (COEST), Balkans (COWEB), Middle East (COMEM'MOG), Asia Oceania (COASI), Latin America ( COLAT), Transatlantic Relations (COTRA), Africa (COATR).