Global Europe

Monday's inter-institutional deal in Madrid on the External Action Service (EAS) should clear the path for Catherine Ashton to move forward in setting up the EU's new foreign policy machinery before the end of the year. The European Parliament is expected to give the green light at its July meeting in Strasbourg.

The latest draft Council decision reveals that the Parliament and the Commission have both won important concessions.

For the Parliament, they will retain oversight of the operational budget, including development assistance, while the smaller administrative budget is excluded. They will also have the right to request senior appointees to appear before the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET). This does not extend to the right of confirmation (as in the US Senate) but it is a step forward. Ashton has also promised to keep the EP informed of strategic thinking in the EAS.

The Parliament, quietly supported by the Commission, also ensured that at least 60 per cent of EAS staff should be permanent EU officials rather than national diplomats. This is a far cry from initial suggestions that the Commission would only provide a third of the staff with similar quotas for the Council and Member States. The Parliament also insisted that the Commissioners for Development and Enlargement should be given 'responsibility' rather than just 'guidance and supervision' over programming.

These changes reflect not only the increased authority of the European Parliament post Lisbon but also the tough financial climate. If the EAS is to remain 'budget neutral' -- always a distant hope -- then it is obvious that most staff will have to be serving Commission officials rather than expensive national diplomats whose salaries and allowances will have to be topped up from the EU budget.

With this compromise behind her, Ashton can now concentrate on filling the senior posts in the EAS, finding suitable premises, and ensuring that her message comes over. Without doubt she has had a bad press for the first six months of what some say is 'mission impossible.' But Ashton is not a quitter. There are signs that she is growing into the role and now the distractions of the fight over the EAS are, more or less, behind her, we can expect her to focus more on the policy priorities. Ultimately she will be judged on making the EU into a more coherent and effective foreign policy actor. Securing agreement on the EAS is an important step in providing her with the tools for the job.