That's it ! Diplomatic Service Agreement

(BRUSSELS2) Phew! This meeting will have been the good one. Meeting in Madrid, in "quadrilogue", the Spanish Presidency of the EU, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs, the European Commission and the European Parliament came to an agreement on the proposal for a Council decision creating the diplomatic service, which will include, in annex, two statements by the High Representative on the political responsibility and on the structure of the central administration.

Each of its institutions undertakes to seek the adoption of the "package" as quickly as possible. And to work “constructively” to seek a solution to the questions remaining at stake, in particular on the financial regulations and the staff regulations. It is, in fact, only a political agreement.

Some details remain to be determined. But it was high time! The Lisbon Treaty has been in force for more than six months now. And several meetings have been necessary since the presentation of the text, in March, to get there (read: Ashton claims a Diplomatic service "autonomous".
Details). Let's mention a few dates in particular: April 14, April 27, May 10, May 27 and June 8...

Here is the text of the declaration in three points

• 1. The parties reached today political agreement on the proposal for a Council Decision establishing the organization and functioning of the European External Action Service. In addition to the Decision, parties reached agreement on the text of two Declarations by the High Representative: on political accountability and on the basic structure of the central administration.
• 2. On the basis of the agreement reached, the participants committed themselves to seek endorsement of the package by their respective institutions as soon as possible in order to proceed to formal adoption of the Council Decision establishing the organization and functioning of the European External Action Service and the related Declarations, once all the procedural steps would have been completed.
• 3. In addition, the participants agreed that they have now to work constructively for the solution of the remaining questions in particular the adoption of the Financial Regulation and the Staff Regulations and CEOS.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)