The recruitment procedure for the "Top ten" of the diplomatic service launched (updated)
(BRUSSELS2) After the adoption by the 27 Foreign Ministers of the decision establishing the European External Action Service on 26 July (1), a first wave of recruitment of the leaders of this new diplomatic service has just been launched .
The High Representative of the EU, Cathy Ashton has therefore sent a letter to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the President of the Commission and the General Secretariat of the Council, in order to specify the conditions and profiles sought from the first ten leaders of the diplomatic service and their asking to formalize the candidacies from now on. This allows the selection procedure to be initiated immediately. Another list of about 80 positions should follow. However, these positions could only be validated from the fall.
Suffice to say that between the Member States and the European Commission, the behind-the-scenes battle for jobs is not over. Because, in addition to the competence and surface area of diplomatic relations, it is also more than necessary for a European diplomatic service to achieve a certain balance and diversity of candidates. It is a question of balance between the different diplomacies of the Member States, as well as of the institutions (Commission, Council...) it is also and above all a question of legitimacy, essential outside... Hence a certain tact in the choice of the various candidates as to their skills (diplomatic, political, civil or military past), their nationalities, even their political affiliation. There will be some disappointed.
A slightly modified organization chart
The organizational chart released in March (2) has not been significantly modified. And a new version has not been officially released, except for illustrative purposes to foreign ministers. Pattern: "everything is not fixed yet. And the High Representative wants to keep a margin of adjustment“explains in the entourage of Cathy Ashton. Margin also necessary, to overcome certain claims, in particular from the European Parliament or from Member States.
Le "Top ten" will constitute the main backbone of the new service. The Executive Secretary General, the two Deputy Secretaries General, the "Chief Operating Officer", a kind of Director General of Administration and Finance, since he will be in charge of personnel matters, budget and protocol, will form a Management Quartet, or "Corporate Board".
The diplomatic service will be divided into six main directorates headed by "Managing directors" who will have either geographical or thematic competence. One of them will be particularly responsible for multilateral issues (UN, human rights, disarmament, etc.). This "top ten" will constitute the "Policy Board", which should also be a member of the legal adviser and the head of the "strategy team" as well as the head of the SitCen.
Departments "horizontal". Next to the "Top Ten" will appear more autonomous departments attached either to the "Corporate Board" or to the "Policy Board": the "Legal" adviser (legal), a "Strategy and planning" team, a "Public diplomacy" department (also responsible for communication), a "Coordination" department (responsible for relations with parliaments, not only the European Parliament but also with national parliaments), an Administration department (responsible for managing human resources, the budget, finance but also protocol and security issues) placed under the authority of the Chief Operating Officer.
Civil-military structures Defense Europe: Military General Staff (EMUE), Civilian General Staff (CPCC), Civil-Military Planning Structure (CMPD) and Intelligence Service (SitCen) will retain their autonomy, and will be attached directly to the High Representative, as confirmed by the declaration also adopted on 26 July (3).
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
Read also:
- The new organization chart (July 2010)
(1) Read: The diplomatic service voted in the European Parliament (update)
The European diplomatic service - the texts
(2) Here is the first organization chart of the Foreign Action Service
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