European External Action Service
Encyclopedia
The European External Action Service (EEAS or EAS) is a European Union
(EU) department that was established following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon
on 1 December 2009. It was formally launched on 1 December 2010 and serves as a foreign ministry and diplomatic corps
for the EU, implementing the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy
and other areas of the EU's external representation. The EEAS is under the authority of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
(HR), a post also created by the Treaty of Lisbon, whom it assists.
The EEAS manages the EU's response to crises, has intelligence capabilities and cooperates with the Commission in areas which it shares competence with. However, although the High Representative and the EEAS can propose and implement policy, it will not make it as that role is left to the Foreign Affairs Council which the High Representative chairs.
The EEAS is unique and independent from other EU institutions, formed by merger of the external relation departments of the Council and the European Commission
, sitting outside those institutions and it also has its own independent budget.
, Director of the Centre for European Reform
, says it would '...be like having a conductor without an orchestra—or rather, a conductor trying to conduct two separate orchestras at the same time.' Following the rejection of the Constitution, the changes were revived in the Treaty of Lisbon which came into force in 2009.
The mandate for the External Action Service is laid down under article 13a-III of the Treaty of Lisbon
(TEU Article 27), and states the following:
Shortly before the treaty came into force, Catherine Ashton was named HR and tasked with drawing up the structure of the new EEAS. Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake
Ashton chaired a meeting of the foreign policy actors across the Commission
, Council
and member states
to give a coordinated response to the disaster. Although she refused to describe it as the first act of the external action service, Ashton did stress that it was the first time that such a co-ordination between all the various EU foreign policy actors had been accomplished before.
Throughout the first half of 2010 Ashton fought for agreement between the Council, Parliament and the Commission as to the future shape of the EEAS. The Commission wanted to retain as many of its existing competencies (trade, development, enlargement, representations and so forth) as possible while Parliament fought to gain as much oversight over the EEAS as possible by demanding scrutiny of appointments and budgets. Parliament removed the last hurdle to the plan on 8 July, when MEPs approved the service by 549 votes for and 78 against with 17 abstentions. The Council approved the transfer of departments to the EAS on 20 July. Until the EEAS became operational, Ashton was only been supported by a around 30 people on a floor of the Berlaymont building
. The EEAS was formally launched at the Commission headquarters in a low key event on 1 December 2010.
The EEAS manages general foreign relations, security and defence policies and controls the Situation Centre (see intelligence below). However, although the HR and the EEAS can prepare initiatives, member states make the final policy decisions and the Commission also plays a part in technical implementation. The HR must report to the European Parliament
. The EEAS would have desks dedicated to all the countries and regional organisations in the world, and specialised units for democracy, human rights and defence.
The EEAS has six geographical departments headed by a managing director. The departments divide the world into: 1) Africa, 2) Asia, 3) Americas, 4) the Middle East and Southern Neighbourhood, 5) Russia, the Eastern Neighbourhood and the Western Balkans and 6) Global and Multilateral Affairs. Geographic desks are not duplicated in the Commission. The EEAS also includes departments for security, strategic policy planning, legal affairs, inter-institutional relations, information and public diplomacy, internal audit and inspections, and personal data protection.
Directorate-General for External Relations
(Commission), External Service (Commission Delegations), Directorate-General for Development (Commission).
diplomatic services, seconded temporarily. The HR's appoints his or her own staff directly. There are no national quotas for the 1100 staff members and a maximum of 40% will be from member states. The rest are permanent and initially dominated by former Commission staff. This is in part due to need to establish a common diplomatic culture, which is also what has prompted calls for a European diplomatic academy.
On 1 January 2011 the first staff were permanently transferred to the EEAS: 585 from the Commissions External Relations DG (which ceased to exist), 93 from the Commissions Development DG (the remainder of which merged into Development Cooperation DG), 436 from the Commission delegations and 411 from the Council of the European Union. These joined with 118 new posts to create a staff of 1643 on the day of transfer.
Staff have the same rights and privileges regardless of whether they come from the Commission, Council or national services. There have been concerns, notably in leaked German foreign policy documents, that the whole structure of the EEAS is becoming dominated by the British. It is believed HR Ashton is open to influence from London and that there are a large number of British staff in high ranking positions already poised to take on the EEAS' top jobs. The steering group for the setting up of the EEAS itself has 3 of its 13 members from the UK, while only one is from Germany.
, with the special representatives reporting directly to her, the day-to-day administration of the EEAS will be handled by an Executive Secretary-General.
Below the secretary-general there are two deputy secretaries-general. One of the deputy secretaries-general will deal with administrative matters (such as coordination and cooperation with the Commission) while the other will assist with foreign policy formulation. However under the final agreed plans the HR would be deputised by a relevant European Commissioner
or the foreign minister holding the rotating council presidency.
The secretary-general will also oversee the autonomous cells such as the Situation Centre (see intelligence below), the military staff, an internal security unit, audit unit and a unit for communications and relations with other EU institutions. The chief operating officer deals with the budget and administration and six managing directors each manage a department (see organisation). The following are the initial office holders;
Ashton has also appointed Robert Cooper as EEAS Counsellor and Claude-France Arnould (France) as Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency
on 6 January 2011.
On 1 January 2010 all former European Commission delegations were renamed European Union delegations and were gradually upgraded into embassy-type missions that employ greater powers than the regular delegations. These upgraded delegations have taken on the role previously carried out by the national embassies of the member state holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union
and merged with the independent Council delegations around the world. Through this the EU delegations take on the role of co-ordinating national embassies and speaking for the EU as a whole, not just the Commission.
The first delegation to be upgraded was the one in Washington D.C., the new joint ambassador was Joao Vale de Almeida who outlined his new powers as speaking for both the Commission and Council presidents, and member states. He would be in charge where there was a common position but otherwise, on bilateral matters, he would not take over from national ambassadors. All delegations are expected to be converted by the end of 2010. Some states may choose to operate through the new EU delegations and close down some of their smaller national embassies, however France has indicated that it will maintain its own network around the world for now.
whereby Parliament and Council do not look at each others budget details. The initial budget for 2010 is €
9.5 million and once it is fully operation it may rise to €3 billion.
from member states who pool classified information to produce concise reports on important topics. It also runs a 24/7 alert desk based on public sources which then updates EU diplomats via SMS on current events. The Watch-Keeping Capability is composed of 12 police and military officers who gather news from the EU's overseas missions.
The Commission's Crisis Room is run by six commission officials who run a restricted website reporting breaking news on the 118 active conflicts in the world based on open sources and news from EU embassies. It uses scientific tools including statistical analysis and software which scans global TV broadcasts for names and key words. Details on the plans for the new merged intelligence service are still sketchy as of early 2010 but it will not run undercover operations along the lines of national intelligence agencies
despite proposals from Belgium and Austria after the 2004 Madrid train bombings.
The Situation Centre and Crisis Room would be merged and headed by the HR. It would be located near the HR's office headed by a director-general with a staff of around 160 people and a budget of 10 to 20 million euro a year. It would have IT experts, scientists, tacticians and seconded intelligence operatives. It would send people into crisis zones to gather information and have 24/7 hotlines to EU delegations around the world. It would give the HR an immediate and powerful asset in an emergency without having to go via the Council's Political and Security committee first. However it is unclear if the Council's Clearing House
(or Working Group CP 931 which deals with the EU's terrorism blacklist) would be merged into the EEAS along with these other bodies.
Meanwhile Ashton has appointed a Polish security operative to head a working group designing the security architecture of the EEAS; particularly the physical security of the EEAS building and its communication network with its embassies. It is seen as particularly important due to the EEAS handling sensitive, as discussed above, amid espionage concerns from China and Russia.
In September 2010, job adverts went out to EU institutions and national embassies for three junior posts at the EEAS. One for foreign deployment, one for a multi-lingual internet researcher and one to follow up on open and confidential information sources. The adverts expressed more about the future department's work, in particular at the new director would be expected to travel to global hotspots. The director of the Joint Situation Centre was appointed in December 2010, Finnish security chief Ilkka Salmi.
The High Representative also has authority over the European Defence Agency
, EU Institute for Security Studies
and the EU Satellite Centre
, though these remain autonomous from the EEAS itself.
However Ashton's draft plan for the EEAS include proposals for the EEAS to take responsibility for Neighbourhood Policy (currently assigned to the Enlargement Commissioner) and international development at least. Under a compromise with the Commission, it was agreed development would be split, with the EEAS taking on three of the five planning cycles from the Commission.
The following Directorates-General (DGs) and Commissioners are not being merged and decisions in these areas require approval from the college of Commissioners:
in the heart of Brussels' EU Quarter. The building is leased at £12 million-a-year. Prior to moving in, future EEAS staff were located in eight separate buildings at a cost of €25 million each year. The EEAS lease most of the building, with Commission departments filling the remaining space. The European Personnel Selection Office
(Epso) was already occupying part of the building since July 2010.
It was originally expected that the EEAS would take over the Commission's Charlemagne building
on the Rue de la Loi which housed the now defunct Directorate-General for External Relations
(RELEX). However that building was thought to be too small, would be too closely associated with RELEX (going against the image of the EEAS as a unique independent institution) and would take too long to overhaul. It was also proposed that the EEAS take over the Lex building
. Due to cost and security considerations, Ashton had preferred to take over the Lex building which could be rented from the Council at a lower rate and already has a higher security rating with underground tunnels to the main Commission and Council buildings. However in order to take over the building, the council staff would have to be willing to leave and the Council's budget increased so they could find new accommodation. Due to the staff in Lex unwilling to move, the triangle building was chosen by Ashton in October 2010.
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU) department that was established following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon
Treaty of Lisbon
The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza....
on 1 December 2009. It was formally launched on 1 December 2010 and serves as a foreign ministry and diplomatic corps
Diplomatic corps
The diplomatic corps or corps diplomatique is the collective body of foreign diplomats accredited to a particular country or body.The diplomatic corps may, in certain contexts, refer to the collection of accredited heads of mission who represent their countries in another state or country...
for the EU, implementing the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy
Common Foreign and Security Policy
The Common Foreign and Security Policy is the organised, agreed foreign policy of the European Union for mainly security and defence diplomacy and actions. CFSP deals only with a specific part of the EU's external relations, which domains include mainly Trade and Commercial Policy and other areas...
and other areas of the EU's external representation. The EEAS is under the authority of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is the main co-ordinator and representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy within the European Union...
(HR), a post also created by the Treaty of Lisbon, whom it assists.
The EEAS manages the EU's response to crises, has intelligence capabilities and cooperates with the Commission in areas which it shares competence with. However, although the High Representative and the EEAS can propose and implement policy, it will not make it as that role is left to the Foreign Affairs Council which the High Representative chairs.
The EEAS is unique and independent from other EU institutions, formed by merger of the external relation departments of the Council and the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, sitting outside those institutions and it also has its own independent budget.
History
The EEAS was first included in the failed European Constitution, a single EU external relations department was seen as necessary to support the proposed single HR post; as Charles GrantCharles Grant
Charles Grant may refer to:*Charles Grant , American football player*Charles Grant , Australian Senator*Charles Grant , British politician...
, Director of the Centre for European Reform
Centre for European Reform
The Centre for European Reform is a London-based think tank which supports European integration while arguing for institutional reform of the European Union...
, says it would '...be like having a conductor without an orchestra—or rather, a conductor trying to conduct two separate orchestras at the same time.' Following the rejection of the Constitution, the changes were revived in the Treaty of Lisbon which came into force in 2009.
The mandate for the External Action Service is laid down under article 13a-III of the Treaty of Lisbon
Treaty of Lisbon
The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza....
(TEU Article 27), and states the following:
Shortly before the treaty came into force, Catherine Ashton was named HR and tasked with drawing up the structure of the new EEAS. Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
Ashton chaired a meeting of the foreign policy actors across the Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, Council
Council of the European Union
The Council of the European Union is the institution in the legislature of the European Union representing the executives of member states, the other legislative body being the European Parliament. The Council is composed of twenty-seven national ministers...
and member states
Member State of the European Union
A member state of the European Union is a state that is party to treaties of the European Union and has thereby undertaken the privileges and obligations that EU membership entails. Unlike membership of an international organisation, being an EU member state places a country under binding laws in...
to give a coordinated response to the disaster. Although she refused to describe it as the first act of the external action service, Ashton did stress that it was the first time that such a co-ordination between all the various EU foreign policy actors had been accomplished before.
Throughout the first half of 2010 Ashton fought for agreement between the Council, Parliament and the Commission as to the future shape of the EEAS. The Commission wanted to retain as many of its existing competencies (trade, development, enlargement, representations and so forth) as possible while Parliament fought to gain as much oversight over the EEAS as possible by demanding scrutiny of appointments and budgets. Parliament removed the last hurdle to the plan on 8 July, when MEPs approved the service by 549 votes for and 78 against with 17 abstentions. The Council approved the transfer of departments to the EAS on 20 July. Until the EEAS became operational, Ashton was only been supported by a around 30 people on a floor of the Berlaymont building
Berlaymont building
The Berlaymont is an office building in Brussels, Belgium that houses the headquarters of the European Commission, which is the executive of the European Union...
. The EEAS was formally launched at the Commission headquarters in a low key event on 1 December 2010.
Organisation
- For organisation of the executive offices, see 'senior posts' below
The EEAS manages general foreign relations, security and defence policies and controls the Situation Centre (see intelligence below). However, although the HR and the EEAS can prepare initiatives, member states make the final policy decisions and the Commission also plays a part in technical implementation. The HR must report to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. The EEAS would have desks dedicated to all the countries and regional organisations in the world, and specialised units for democracy, human rights and defence.
The EEAS has six geographical departments headed by a managing director. The departments divide the world into: 1) Africa, 2) Asia, 3) Americas, 4) the Middle East and Southern Neighbourhood, 5) Russia, the Eastern Neighbourhood and the Western Balkans and 6) Global and Multilateral Affairs. Geographic desks are not duplicated in the Commission. The EEAS also includes departments for security, strategic policy planning, legal affairs, inter-institutional relations, information and public diplomacy, internal audit and inspections, and personal data protection.
Departments transferred
Parts of the following departments have been transferred from the Commission or Council to the External Action Service: the Policy Unit (Council), Directorate-General E (Council), Officials of the General Secretariat of the Council on secondment to European Union Special Representatives and ESDP missionsESDP missions
Since 2002 the European Union has become increasingly active abroad under the Common Security and Defence Policy . As of February 2008, it has engaged in nineteen operations, using civilian and military instruments in several countries in three continents...
Directorate-General for External Relations
Directorate-General for External Relations (European Commission)
The Directorate-General for the External Relations was a Directorate-General of the European Commission, responsible for the external policy...
(Commission), External Service (Commission Delegations), Directorate-General for Development (Commission).
Staff
Staff is drawn from the Commission and Council and from the member states'Member State of the European Union
A member state of the European Union is a state that is party to treaties of the European Union and has thereby undertaken the privileges and obligations that EU membership entails. Unlike membership of an international organisation, being an EU member state places a country under binding laws in...
diplomatic services, seconded temporarily. The HR's appoints his or her own staff directly. There are no national quotas for the 1100 staff members and a maximum of 40% will be from member states. The rest are permanent and initially dominated by former Commission staff. This is in part due to need to establish a common diplomatic culture, which is also what has prompted calls for a European diplomatic academy.
On 1 January 2011 the first staff were permanently transferred to the EEAS: 585 from the Commissions External Relations DG (which ceased to exist), 93 from the Commissions Development DG (the remainder of which merged into Development Cooperation DG), 436 from the Commission delegations and 411 from the Council of the European Union. These joined with 118 new posts to create a staff of 1643 on the day of transfer.
Staff have the same rights and privileges regardless of whether they come from the Commission, Council or national services. There have been concerns, notably in leaked German foreign policy documents, that the whole structure of the EEAS is becoming dominated by the British. It is believed HR Ashton is open to influence from London and that there are a large number of British staff in high ranking positions already poised to take on the EEAS' top jobs. The steering group for the setting up of the EEAS itself has 3 of its 13 members from the UK, while only one is from Germany.
Senior posts
While the HR conducts shuttle diplomacyShuttle diplomacy
In diplomacy and international relations, shuttle diplomacy is the action of an outside party in serving as an intermediary between principals in a dispute, without direct principal-to-principal contact...
, with the special representatives reporting directly to her, the day-to-day administration of the EEAS will be handled by an Executive Secretary-General.
Below the secretary-general there are two deputy secretaries-general. One of the deputy secretaries-general will deal with administrative matters (such as coordination and cooperation with the Commission) while the other will assist with foreign policy formulation. However under the final agreed plans the HR would be deputised by a relevant European Commissioner
European Commissioner
A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each Member within the college holds a specific portfolio and are led by the President of the European Commission...
or the foreign minister holding the rotating council presidency.
The secretary-general will also oversee the autonomous cells such as the Situation Centre (see intelligence below), the military staff, an internal security unit, audit unit and a unit for communications and relations with other EU institutions. The chief operating officer deals with the budget and administration and six managing directors each manage a department (see organisation). The following are the initial office holders;
| Post | Office-holder | State | Announced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Members of the EEAS Corporate Board | |||
| Executive Secretary-General | Pierre Vimont Pierre Vimont Pierre Vimont is the Secretary-General of the European External Action Service .-Biography:Vimont holds a licence in law. He is a graduate of the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris and the École nationale d'administration... |
France | 25 October 2010 |
| Chief Operating Officer | David O'Sullivan David O'Sullivan (civil servant) David O'Sullivan is the Chief Operating Officer of the European Union's diplomatic corps, the European External Action Service, since 2010. He was the Secretary-General of the European Commission between June 2000 and November 2005.... |
Ireland | 25 October 2010 |
| Deputy Secretary General for Political Affairs | Helga Schmid | Germany | 29 October 2010 |
| Deputy Secretary General for Inter-institutional Affairs | Maciej Popowski | Poland | 29 October 2010 |
| Managing Directors | |||
| Managing Director for Crisis Response | Dr Agostino Miozzo | Italy | 2 December 2010 |
| Managing Director for Asia | Viorel Isticioaia Budura | Romania | 21 December 2010 |
| Managing Director for Africa | Nicholas Westcott | United Kingdom | 6 January 2011 |
| Managing Director for Russia, Eastern Neighbourhood and Western Balkans | Miroslav Lajčák Miroslav Lajcák Dr. Miroslav Lajčák is a Slovak diplomat.Lajčák is a law graduate from the Comenius University in Bratislava. He holds a Ph.D. in international relations from the State Institute of International Relations in Moscow and is also a graduate of the George C... |
Slovakia | 14 December 2010 |
| Managing Director for Middle East and Southern Neighbourhood | Hugues Mingarelli | France | 21 December 2010 |
| Managing Director for the Americas | Christian Leffler | Sweden | 14 December 2010 |
| Managing Director for Global and Multilateral Affairs | Maria Marinaki | Greece | 1 April 2011 |
| Other Senior Managers | |||
| Head of the Crisis Management and Planning Department | Walter Stevens | Belgium | 4 April 2011 |
| Director General EU Military Staff European Union Military Staff The European Union Military Staff is a department of the European Union , responsible for supervising operations within the realm of the Common Security and Defence Policy... (EUMS): |
Lt Gen Ton van Osch Ton van Osch Lieutenant General A.G.D. van Osch is an officer and commander in the Royal Netherlands Army. He currently serves with the EU's European Council in Brussels as the Director General of the European Union Military Staff. He has a wife and two daughters.-Military career:Van Osch enrolled in the... |
Netherlands | 28 May 2010 |
| Head of the EU Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) | Hansjoerg Haber | German | 28 March 2011 |
| Director of the EU Situation Centre | Ilkka Salmi | Finland | 17 December 2010 |
| Chair of the Political and Security Committee Political and Security Committee The Political and Security Committee, PSC is a permanent body within the European Union dealing with Common Foreign and Security Policy issues, including Common Security and Defence Policy.PSC, which is based in Brussels, consists of ambassadorial level representatives from the... |
Olof Skoog | Sweden | 18 November 2010 |
Ashton has also appointed Robert Cooper as EEAS Counsellor and Claude-France Arnould (France) as Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency
European Defence Agency
The European Defence Agency is an agency of the European Union based in Brussels. It is a Common Foreign and Security Policy body set up on 12 July 2004, reporting to the Council of the European Union. All EU member states, except Denmark which has an opt-out of the CFSP, take part in the agency...
on 6 January 2011.
Delegations
The former Commission's representations abroad fall under the EEAS as EU embassies (although representing the whole of the EU under Lisbon, the Commission had wanted to retain management). The delegations would also support visits from MEPs, delegation heads would have hearings in Parliament (though no veto) and they are at the disposal of Parliament for questions concerning the country they dealt with. There are EU delegations in nearly every UN member state and each head of delegation is the EU ambassador (appointed by the High Representative).On 1 January 2010 all former European Commission delegations were renamed European Union delegations and were gradually upgraded into embassy-type missions that employ greater powers than the regular delegations. These upgraded delegations have taken on the role previously carried out by the national embassies of the member state holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Presidency of the Council of the European Union
The Presidency of the Council of the European Union is the responsibility for the functioning of the Council of the European Union that rotates between the member states of the European Union every six months. The presidency is not a single president but rather the task is undertaken by a national...
and merged with the independent Council delegations around the world. Through this the EU delegations take on the role of co-ordinating national embassies and speaking for the EU as a whole, not just the Commission.
The first delegation to be upgraded was the one in Washington D.C., the new joint ambassador was Joao Vale de Almeida who outlined his new powers as speaking for both the Commission and Council presidents, and member states. He would be in charge where there was a common position but otherwise, on bilateral matters, he would not take over from national ambassadors. All delegations are expected to be converted by the end of 2010. Some states may choose to operate through the new EU delegations and close down some of their smaller national embassies, however France has indicated that it will maintain its own network around the world for now.
Budget
The EEAS's budget is proposed and managed by the HR and be signed off every year by Parliament. Parliament would also review the budget of each EU mission; Parliaments oversight would put an end to a long standing gentlemen's agreementGentlemen's agreement
A gentlemen's agreement is an informal agreement between two or more parties. It may be written, oral, or simply understood as part of an unspoken agreement by convention or through mutually beneficial etiquette. The essence of a gentlemen's agreement is that it relies upon the honor of the parties...
whereby Parliament and Council do not look at each others budget details. The initial budget for 2010 is €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
9.5 million and once it is fully operation it may rise to €3 billion.
Parliamentary oversight
Parliament has fought to gain oversight over the EEAS and under final plans the budget, though independent, would be scrutinised by MEPs who can approve or reject it. Parliament would also be consulted on overseas missions and have stronger budgetary oversight over those too. They would also informally vet appointments to prominent foreign embassies and have access to some classified EEAS documentsIntelligence and security
As part of the merger, the intelligence gathering services in the Commission and Council will be merged. These services are the Council's Joint Situation Centre (SitCen) and Watch-Keeping Capability and the Commission's Crisis Room. The Situation Centre has 110 staff and has a cell of intelligence analystsIntelligence analysis
Intelligence analysis is the process of taking known information about situations and entities of strategic, operational, or tactical importance, characterizing the known, and, with appropriate statements of probability, the future actions in those situations and by those entities...
from member states who pool classified information to produce concise reports on important topics. It also runs a 24/7 alert desk based on public sources which then updates EU diplomats via SMS on current events. The Watch-Keeping Capability is composed of 12 police and military officers who gather news from the EU's overseas missions.
The Commission's Crisis Room is run by six commission officials who run a restricted website reporting breaking news on the 118 active conflicts in the world based on open sources and news from EU embassies. It uses scientific tools including statistical analysis and software which scans global TV broadcasts for names and key words. Details on the plans for the new merged intelligence service are still sketchy as of early 2010 but it will not run undercover operations along the lines of national intelligence agencies
Intelligence agency
An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public...
despite proposals from Belgium and Austria after the 2004 Madrid train bombings.
The Situation Centre and Crisis Room would be merged and headed by the HR. It would be located near the HR's office headed by a director-general with a staff of around 160 people and a budget of 10 to 20 million euro a year. It would have IT experts, scientists, tacticians and seconded intelligence operatives. It would send people into crisis zones to gather information and have 24/7 hotlines to EU delegations around the world. It would give the HR an immediate and powerful asset in an emergency without having to go via the Council's Political and Security committee first. However it is unclear if the Council's Clearing House
Clearing House (EU)
Clearing House is an obscure working group in the European Union established after the September 11, 2001 attacks. It is composed of national security services under the Common Foreign and Security Policy who meet regularly in Brussels on counter-terrorism matters.Its primarily roles are to agree...
(or Working Group CP 931 which deals with the EU's terrorism blacklist) would be merged into the EEAS along with these other bodies.
Meanwhile Ashton has appointed a Polish security operative to head a working group designing the security architecture of the EEAS; particularly the physical security of the EEAS building and its communication network with its embassies. It is seen as particularly important due to the EEAS handling sensitive, as discussed above, amid espionage concerns from China and Russia.
In September 2010, job adverts went out to EU institutions and national embassies for three junior posts at the EEAS. One for foreign deployment, one for a multi-lingual internet researcher and one to follow up on open and confidential information sources. The adverts expressed more about the future department's work, in particular at the new director would be expected to travel to global hotspots. The director of the Joint Situation Centre was appointed in December 2010, Finnish security chief Ilkka Salmi.
The High Representative also has authority over the European Defence Agency
European Defence Agency
The European Defence Agency is an agency of the European Union based in Brussels. It is a Common Foreign and Security Policy body set up on 12 July 2004, reporting to the Council of the European Union. All EU member states, except Denmark which has an opt-out of the CFSP, take part in the agency...
, EU Institute for Security Studies
European Union Institute for Security Studies
The European Union Institute for Security Studies is a Paris-based EU agency of the Common Foreign and Security Policy . Its goals are to find a common security culture for the EU, to help develop and project the CFSP, and to enrich Europe’s strategic debate.The EUISS is an autonomous agency with...
and the EU Satellite Centre
European Union Satellite Centre
The European Union Satellite Centre is an agency of the European Union's Council of Ministers which gathers information through satellite images....
, though these remain autonomous from the EEAS itself.
Commission's responsibilities
The European Commission managed to retain control over its competencies in aid (and its €6 billion a year budget), development, energy and enlargement. This gives the relevant Commissioners the lead in those areas and deputise for the HR when necessary. Although the service will have cells for the Commission's areas, decisions will have to be made jointly by the HR and the College of Commissioners.However Ashton's draft plan for the EEAS include proposals for the EEAS to take responsibility for Neighbourhood Policy (currently assigned to the Enlargement Commissioner) and international development at least. Under a compromise with the Commission, it was agreed development would be split, with the EEAS taking on three of the five planning cycles from the Commission.
The following Directorates-General (DGs) and Commissioners are not being merged and decisions in these areas require approval from the college of Commissioners:
- EuropeAid Development and CooperationEuropeAid Development and CooperationThe Development and Cooperation - EuropeAid Directorate General is one of the departments of the European Commission. EuropeAid operates under the authority of the European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs.- Background :...
(inc ECHOECHO (European Commission)The Humanitarian Aid department of the European Commission , formerly known as the European Community Humanitarian Aid Office, is the European Commission's department for overseas humanitarian aid...
): Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina GeorgievaKristalina GeorgievaKristalina Ivanova Georgieva is a Bulgarian economist and politician, currently serving as European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response in the second college of the Barroso Commission....
. - DG EnlargementDirectorate-General for Enlargement (European Commission)The Directorate-General for Enlargement is a Directorate-General of the European Commission. The DG Enlargement is responsible for the enlargement process of the European Union...
: Commissioner for Enlargement Štefan FüleŠtefan FüleŠtefan Füle is a Czech politician and diplomat, since 2009 European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy in the second Barroso Commission.- Early life :...
. - DG TradeDirectorate-General for Trade (European Commission)The Directorate-General for Trade is a Directorate-General of the European Commission. DG Trade works on securing prosperity, solidarity and security in Europe and around the globe...
: Commissioner for TradeEuropean Commissioner for TradeThe European Commissioner for Trade is the member of the European Commission responsible for the European Union's common commercial policy...
Karel De GuchtKarel De GuchtKarel Lodewijk Georgette Emmerence De Gucht is a Belgian politician who has been the European Commissioner for Trade since 2010...
. - DG EnergyDirectorate-General for Energy (European Commission)The Directorate-General for Energy , also internally the abbreviation ENER is used, is a Directorate-General of the European Commission...
: Commissioner for EnergyEuropean Commissioner for EnergyThe Commissioner for Energy is a member of the European Commission. The current Commissioner is Günther Oettinger .-Responsibilities:The Commissioner holds responsibility for the European Union's energy policy as well as nuclear issues . It was previously a backwater in the Commission but has now...
Günther OettingerGünther OettingerGünther Hermann Oettinger is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union . He became European Commissioner for Energy in the European Commission on 10 February 2010 and is affiliated with the European People's Party...
. - Foreign Policy Instruments ServiceForeign Policy Instruments ServiceThe Foreign Policy Instruments Service is a department of the European Commission set up in response to the establishment of the European External Action Service...
Location
The EEAS is based in the Triangle building (also known as the Capital, or Axa building) on Schuman roundaboutSchuman roundabout
Schuman Roundabout , or Schuman Square, is a roundabout at the end of Rue de la Loi in Brussels that serves as a focus for major institutions of the European Union ....
in the heart of Brussels' EU Quarter. The building is leased at £12 million-a-year. Prior to moving in, future EEAS staff were located in eight separate buildings at a cost of €25 million each year. The EEAS lease most of the building, with Commission departments filling the remaining space. The European Personnel Selection Office
European Personnel Selection Office
The European Personnel Selection Office is responsible for selecting staff to work for the Institutions of the European Union...
(Epso) was already occupying part of the building since July 2010.
It was originally expected that the EEAS would take over the Commission's Charlemagne building
Charlemagne building
The Charlemagne building is a high-rise in the European Quarter of Brussels , which houses the Directorate-General for Trade and the Directorate General for Enlargement of the European Commission....
on the Rue de la Loi which housed the now defunct Directorate-General for External Relations
Directorate-General for External Relations (European Commission)
The Directorate-General for the External Relations was a Directorate-General of the European Commission, responsible for the external policy...
(RELEX). However that building was thought to be too small, would be too closely associated with RELEX (going against the image of the EEAS as a unique independent institution) and would take too long to overhaul. It was also proposed that the EEAS take over the Lex building
Lex building
The Lex building is a high-rise of government offices in the European Quarter of Brussels . It is an annex building of the Council of the European Union and is located at Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 145....
. Due to cost and security considerations, Ashton had preferred to take over the Lex building which could be rented from the Council at a lower rate and already has a higher security rating with underground tunnels to the main Commission and Council buildings. However in order to take over the building, the council staff would have to be willing to leave and the Council's budget increased so they could find new accommodation. Due to the staff in Lex unwilling to move, the triangle building was chosen by Ashton in October 2010.