Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-10-21-Speech-3-169"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20091021.9.3-169"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, Commissioner, Mr Brok, honourable Members, the development of the European External Action Service is a matter that I know is of great interest to you here in Parliament. I read with great interest and a strong sense of involvement the report tabled by Mr Brok and approved on Monday in the Committee on Constitutional Affairs. Naturally, the Presidency is in complete agreement with what Mr Brok says in his report about the External Action Service in fact being key to our common work to make European foreign policy into an active and more cohesive instrument to enable European policy to be viewed in a better light around the world.
This is roughly as far as we have got in the discussions. I cannot go into more detail, as we have not finished our talks yet, but we will do everything we can to continue to keep Parliament informed of the progress made. Of course, the High Representative has not yet been appointed, so these ideas are still just ideas, that is all. Ultimately, it will be the High Representative who tables the proposal in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty.
With that, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak and I look forward to a constructive debate, during which I will, of course, listen very closely to Parliament’s views and answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability.
The intention is to bridge the gap that has existed between the Commission’s and the Council’s work so that the Union’s policies are moving in the same direction. This is necessary in order for us to be able to be as effective as possible. It is therefore important that we give the External Action Service as good a start as possible. This is one of the greatest and most important challenges in the Treaty of Lisbon. There are many pieces of the puzzle that need to fall into place and extensive preparations are therefore underway in the Council.
The objective is for the European Council to agree on a report that the High Representative, once he or she has been appointed, will be able to use as a starting point when he or she tables a proposal on the External Action Service. During this work, the European Parliament will, of course, be consulted in connection with the tabling of the proposal by the High Representative. Until this time, the Presidency will ensure that there is a regular dialogue with the European Parliament. We have had this dialogue up to this point and will continue to do so. It is important for the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission to have regular contact on these issues, not only between officials, but also at policy level.
Immediately after the Irish referendum – and we are very pleased that the result was positive – the Member States and the Commission began very intensive work to prepare the European External Action Service. This work is progressing and I am absolutely certain that we will be able to present a number of usable ideas to the European Council next week with regard to the future High Representative. Since it is the High Representative’s job to table the final proposal, he or she will, of course, be involved in the work as soon as he or she has been appointed. This is very important in order to enable him or her to have some input into the proposal.
The Presidency will present an agreement on principles covering five major elements, namely, the scope of the External Action Service’s activities, its legal position, its staffing and financing and the EU delegations. We have not completed this yet and discussions are still ongoing, but I will give you an idea of how far we have progressed hitherto, and in this regard, there appears to be a high level of agreement between the Council and the Commission, and I hope eventually with the European Parliament, too.
With regard to the scope of the European External Action Service’s activities, it is clear that we should establish geographical and thematic ‘desk functions’ with collective responsibility for tasks that are currently handled by the Commission and the Council Secretariat. The Commission will continue to have the main responsibility for matters relating to trade, aid and enlargement, even though it still remains to be established exactly where the dividing line between the Commission and the External Action Service is to go with regard to aid.
The Member States and the Commission also agree that the legal status of the External Action Service should reflect and support the unique role
that it has within the EU system. Whatever legal solution is finally decided upon, it must fulfil the principles of good administration and the prospect of accountability.
Staff will be recruited from the Commission, the Council Secretariat and the Member States. This is clearly laid down in the Treaty of Lisbon. All of these categories of personnel are to be entitled to take office on equal terms. The EU delegations will be placed under the authority of the High Representative as soon as the Treaty of Lisbon has entered into force.
One important matter in the setting up of the European External Action Service is contact with the European Parliament. Once the High Representative has been appointed, he or she will regularly consult the European Parliament on the principal paths and the important choices of direction within the common foreign and security policy as well as the common security and defence policy. I am sure that close contact with the European Parliament will also be fostered at the level of the officials. The European External Action Service should therefore have a facility that is responsible for contact with Parliament."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata | |
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples