With regard to the new
diplomatic service's budget, they argue that the Parliament should have an explicit right of discharge.
MEPs can delay the voting and subsequently Ashton's plans to have the
diplomatic service working full force beginning December 1, 2010.
The candidates will apply to fill part of the ten positions in the top management team, about 80 director-level positions and another 9 positions at the situation center in the nascent EU
diplomatic service.
There is a growing concern among the new' member states that the EU's future
diplomatic service will be dominated by representatives from the EU15 (ie the old' member states).
The Romanian
diplomatic service has referred to the freedom of movement, which is a fundamental right of European citizens, and asked France to clarify "to what extent the measures introduced are in compliance with the European acquis."
An informal group of political analysts, civil society representatives and members of the European Parliament met for the first time, on 2 February, with an aim to work out a set of recommendations on the establishment of the European External Action Service (EEAS) - the EU's first
diplomatic service foreseen in the Lisbon Treaty.
Bulgarian EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva, who is already in the foreign politics sector and is now one of Ashton's deputies, said this week that the government will do everything possible to support the Bulgarian team in the future European
diplomatic service - not on a party level, but on a professional basis.
The report states that this EU
diplomatic service must form an integral part of the Commission and be financed out of this institution's budget.
Ashton, EC High Representative for Foreign Policy, accepted his suggestions with gratitude, and in turn explained current progress on building up a new
diplomatic service - the European External Action Service (EEAS), which is supposed to be in place in April.
Members of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs held a special late-evening meeting, on 19 October in Strasbourg in the wings of the plenary, to adopt a report by Elmar Brok (EPP, Germany) on the institutional aspects of setting up the
diplomatic service, a key innovation of the Lisbon Treaty.
Ambassador Rashidov expressed gratitude for the joint productive interaction during his
diplomatic service in Kyrgyzstan.
