A political agreement on the establishment of the EEAS was reached on Monday 21st June between the three rapporteurs of the EP (Elmar Brok, Guy Verhofstadt and Roberto Gualtieri), High Representative Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Maroš Šefèoviè, as well as Miguel Ángel Moratinos (Spanish EU Presidency).

"We should not underestimate how important today's decision is (...). This means we can now move forward with the service and have it operational by the autumn." said Ms Ashton after the lengthy meeting in Madrid.

Still last week tension seemed to be building up between the two camps as a key meeting between MEPs and Ashton was postponed. One official was quoted in the European Voice as saying that MEPs’ “messing around” had caused Ashton to “rip up her diary and reschedule her appointments” so that the negotiations could go ahead.

After the meeting in Madrid Gualtieri told German press agency DPA that "on the whole, parliament's requests have been fulfilled." Although the blueprint for EEAS was signed off by member states and the European Commission in April, the parliament was able to win important modifications due to their decision-making clout on staffing and financing the outfit.

Eurostep Director Simon Stocker comments: "With the agreement reached yesterday we are happy to see that the Commission will handle the budget and the Commissioner of Development is responsible for all levels of the programming cycle of development financing instruments"

The parliament is expected to give a green light to the EEAS at its 5-8 July Strasbourg session so that the deal can be endorsed by EU foreign ministers in a meeting on 26 July. Formal adoption of the legislative texts, including financial and staff regulations (co-decision) will not take place until the autumn.

Sources:

• EUobserver
• EurActiv
• European Voice

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