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Diplomatieke dienst moet meer zijn dan een 28ste ministerie voor buitenlandse zaken

De Europese dienst voor Extern Optreden kan op 1 december 2010 van start gaan.
Dankzij aanhoudende inspanningen van het Europese Parlement zal deze diplomatieke dienst een grotere sleutelrol krijgen in het buitenlands beleid, en tegelijk de nodige aandacht hebben voor ontwikkelingssamenwerking. De controle op de werking van de dienst door het Parlement is ook verzekerd door de voorziening van individuele budgetlijnen voor grote overzese projecten.

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PERSBERICHT VAN DE GROENE FRACTIE IN HET EP (Engelstalig)


EEAS gets go-ahead but be more than just a 28th foreign ministry

The European Parliament approved today the last three legislative texts required to launch the European External Action Service (EEAS) on 1 December 2010 (Staff Regulation, Financial Regulation and the EEAS 2010 budget). After the vote in plenary, Franziska Brantner, foreign affairs co-spokesperson of the Greens/EFA group, said:

"It has been a bumpy ride but thanks to Parliament's efforts, the EU's External Action Service now has the potential to be the driving force for a more effective and more legitimate EU foreign policy. We welcome that key Green concerns - such as on gender balance and common training to create an 'esprit de corps' - have been largely addressed, and that the Parliament will have greater democratic scrutiny on the functioning of the EEAS, notably through the introduction of individual budget lines for the EU's major overseas operations. The EP also succeeded in safeguarding the Community method and, thanks to Green pressure, development priorities.

"Clearly, the jury is still out on whether the External Action Service will actually live up to its potential and provide real added-value. If it is to be of value, it must be more than just a 28th European foreign ministry. High representative Ashton must now act to ensure that the EEAS lives up to expectations, this includes creating strong coordination mechanisms in the EEAS to ensure policy coherence. The EEAS should also become a hub for crisis management and conflict prevention but this will only be possible if Ms Ashton delivers on her promise to create effective crisis management and peace-building structures [1] and allocates sufficient posts to this task [2].

"There are clearly continuing concerns that the EEAS will be a body with far too many chiefs, and the announcement of dozens of new deputy-ambassadorial posts by Ms Ashton only reinforces these concerns. What Europe needs are crisis management and mediation experts rather than an unwieldy service of high-salaried diplomats."


[1] In a statement to Parliament on 8 July 2010, Ms Ashton formally committed to the creation of an "appropriate structure" for crisis management and peace-building meeting certain conditions exacted by Parliament. See

[2] According to the draft 2010 and 2011 budgets, there will be 118 newly created posts in the EEAS, of which some 20 will be deputy ambassadorial posts. Moreover, Ms Ashton will be able to reallocate existing positions thanks to synergies resulting from the merger of Council and Commission departments.

GroenDe enige partij die sociaal én milieuvriendelijk is.

www.groen.be

De Groenen/EVAGroenen en Europese Vrije Alliantie in het Europees Parlement.

www.greens-efa.eu

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