EEAS

The European Commission, the European Parliament and the Spanish EU Presidency yesterday reached a compromise in Madrid regarding the organisation and operation of the European External Action Service (EEAS). The EU institutions expect the Union’s diplomatic service to become operational in the autumn.

R&D and the Trade Union Majority supports the outcome of the negotiations on the final proposal for the changes to the Staff Regulations which are necessary for the establishment of the European External Action Service (EEAS).

Please find enclosed the Opinion of the Council Staff Committee on the EEAS Statutory changes Adopted at the 29th plenary meeting of the Staff Committee June 2, 2010 – written procedure by June 8, 2010

The European Commission has adopted yesterday a draft proposal (COM(2010) 309 final) amending the Staff Regulations in view of the establishment of the External Action Service. The main purpose of the proposed amendments is to assure the main human resources requirements needed to set up the EEAS, by organising the transfer of Commission and Council officials to the EEAS together with the recruitment of national diplomats.

At the General Affairs Council on 26 April, Mrs. Ashton committed to preparing a report on how she intends to achieve by 2013 the target of one third of the AD staff coming from the diplomatic services of Member States.
This paper sets out a number of ways by which this objective could be accomplished.