Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 115: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress made to date by the EU in developing the European external action service under the provisions of the Lisbon treaty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14304/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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There has been substantial work in recent weeks on the European External Action Service (EEAS) which is an important innovation under the Lisbon Treaty supporting the work of the new High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton.

On 25 March the High Representative presented her proposal for a Council Decision on the organisation and functioning of the EEAS, together with related proposals on budgetary and staff matters. These proposals follow intensive consultations with a range of stakeholders, including the Member States. The Council will make its Decision after consulting the European Parliament and obtaining the consent of the European Commission. The Parliament will have the power of co-decision in regard to the associated budgetary and staffing legislation.

The High Representative's proposals are complex and will require careful scrutiny and debate in the coming weeks. I look forward to discussing them with my colleagues at the Council meeting on 26 April. This will be an important decision for the Council with long-term consequences. The Council must take care to get the organisational structure of the EEAS right, particularly in terms of its central administration and its Delegations in Third Countries and international organisations. The Decision will also deal with the links between the EEAS and other EU institutions, particularly the Commission where the High Representative is also Vice-President and the Parliament which will be consulted regularly by the High Representative on the main aspects and the basic choices of the common foreign and security policy. The guidelines for the EEAS endorsed by the European Council remain a valid basis for considering the High Representative's proposals.

The Treaty provides that the EEAS will comprise officials from relevant departments of the Commission and the Council Secretariat, as well as staff seconded from national diplomatic services of the Member States. The High Representative's proposals include provisions for the staff recruitment process and consequential amendments to the EU's Staff Regulations.

I believe the EEAS recruitment process should be open, transparent and merit-based while also ensuring that EEAS staffing is representative of the diversity of the Union. These points were made on 22 March when Ministers in the General Affairs and Foreign Affairs Councils had a useful, wide-ranging discussion with High Representative Ashton.

Irish candidates will be able to compete for positions within the EEAS on an equal footing with those from other Member States. My Department has sought general expressions of interest from Irish diplomats in working for the EEAS.

The overall size of the EEAS is still under consideration and it will be a few years before it reaches full operational strength. Staffing from the member States, including Ireland, is likely to start modestly. However, over time there will be a real benefit to the State through the experience gained by the rotation of Irish officials between the EEAS and the Irish diplomatic service. I look forward to Irish candidates of the highest calibre being recruited into the new Service.

The work of the EEAS will be complementary to the work of national diplomatic services and EU Delegations will work in close cooperation with the Embassies of EU Member States. A Declaration attached to the Lisbon Treaty makes clear that the establishment of the EEAS does not affect the existing responsibilities of Member States for the formulation and conduct of their foreign policy nor their national representation in third countries and at international organisations. In particular, the promotion of Ireland's trade and economic interests, the provision of consular assistance, and the administration of our overseas development aid programmes will remain our own responsibility.