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Millennium Development Goals
Haiti earthquake response is Ashton's first major challenge Print E-mail

Haiti earthquakeCatherine Ashton, the EU's new High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, has had her powers put to the test by a catastrophic earthquake in Haiti which has come before she has even formally taken up her post. Ashton has taken charge of co-ordinating the EU's response to the humanitarian crisis in Haiti, which has already claimed tens of thousands of lives. She chaired a meeting last week in which the Commission approved 3 million euros for the emergency relief effort, and will chair a further meeting of development ministers in Brussels on Monday.

"While we are making sure that Haiti receives the immediate and urgent support it needs, we also have to get ready for the very important next step in helping Haiti to rebuild the country," Baroness Ashton said. "I am in close contact with our partners in Europe and beyond to co-ordinate these efforts."

"It's the first time in such a situation that we have brought all these various actors together. I wouldn't call it the first act of the External Action Service, because that doesn't exist yet, but this has never been done before," said Lutz Guellner, a spokesperson for Ashton's office.

"She is acting as the overall co-ordinator on this, for example any contacts with Ban Ki Moon [the UN secretary general] will be through her."

Meanwhile, the slow delivery of emergency relief caused by logistical problems and looting is exacerbating the crisis, and the death toll is predicted to reach 200,000.

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EU diplomatic service

EEASThe Lisbon Treaty seeks to make the EU more effective on the world stage.  The European External Action Service (EEAS) will be the EU's own diplomatic service.  Proposals for establishing this service have been published by Baroness Cathy Ashton, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (see proposals).  These proposals would bring much of the Commission's capacity for development into the diplomatic service, raising concern about the future role for the EU's development.  In response to two legal opinions on the legitimacy of the proposals Eurostep sought a further legal brief to examine the issue.  See legal brief
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