The diplomatic service voted in the European Parliament (update)
(BRUSSELS2 updated 8 July) The European Parliament approved by a large majority (549 votes for, 78 against and 17 abstentions) the opinion on the decision creating the diplomatic service. This text should now be included in point A at a future Council of Ministers. It remains to adopt the financial regulation, that on the personnel as well as the budget 2010, where the Parliament has, there, a power of co-decision.
The day before (Wednesday), during the debate in the plenary session, Catherine Ashton, the EU's chief diplomat, had confirmed to parliamentarians her commitments to parliamentarians on the establishment of the diplomatic service. She highlighted the "community method" which will be "safeguarded" within the framework of the diplomatic service.
High-representative vices that don't say their name
It has also formalized its representation system: the European commissioners (Georgieva for humanitarian action, Füle for the neighborhood and Piebalgs for development) will thus be delegated to replace the High Representative when she cannot be present during parliamentary debates. . And "from time to time", it could also be a foreign minister from the rotating presidency or from the trio of presidencies.
New trips to Gaza and East Africa
Incidentally, Cathy Asthon confirmed that she would return to Gaza on July 17 and 18, before the visit of the Foreign Ministers (1) and also to East Africa (probably in October) to meet the leaders of Tanzania , Kenya, Mozambique... and find solutions to the Somali issue.
Parliamentary committees vote
The future diplomatic service had passed the test of the parliamentary commissions without too much difficulty. Monday in night session, the AFCO committee (Constitutional Affairs) had thus voted without blinking the report and the amendments to the report by Guy Verhofstadt by 17 votes in favor and 2 votes against. On Tuesday, it was the turn of the AFET (Foreign Affairs) committee.
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
(1) EU – Israel. A high-level EU delegation to Gaza in July (update)
