Finland’s goal a strong European External Action Service and an internationally influential European Union
Press release 167/2008
16 May, 2008
At is meeting on Friday, 16 May the Cabinet Committee on European Union Affairs discussed the European External Action Service (EEAS) proposed in the Treaty of Lisbon. The goal is to strengthen the European Union’s role in international politics.
Increasingly effective action and stronger leadership in international political affairs are expected of the EU. The Treaty of Lisbon gives a legal base and provides more instruments for conducting effective and consistent European Union foreign policy and for solidifying the EU’s global role.
As the EU assumes an even stronger role in international politics and global affairs, the new High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the “EU Foreign Minister”, must have a prominent and leading position. An efficient and skilful EEAS is needed to support the work of the “EU Foreign Minister” – who will also serve as Vice-President of the Commission – and the permanent President of the European Council.
The EEAS to be created is a great opportunity for Finland. Through a well-functioning EEAS, Finland can be have a more integrated role in implementing the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union.
The EEAS should bring together the tasks falling under the scope of the “EU Foreign Minister”, which are now handled by the European Commission’s External Relations Directorate-General and the Council of Europe Secretariat. For instance, the EU’s capacity to respond to different crises will be stronger when resources are combined. The EEAS must cooperate, in particular, with the Commission in affairs that remain the Commission’s responsibility, such as trade policy.
The EEAS will comprise a headquarters located in Brussels, where according to preliminary estimates about a thousand civil servants would work, and the delegations of the European Commission to third countries, where according to preliminary estimates about one and half thousand civil servants would work. The latter will be built up on the basis of the current delegations of the European Commission.
Finland also has the opportunity to receive notable support for her own foreign service: Increased information will become available through the EEAS, and even though the EU delegations do not affect the tasks of the Member States’ own foreign missions, Finland’s global presence will expand in consequence of the EU delegations.
The EU’s foreign policy is the policy of both the European Union and the Member States, and it is self-evident that the Member States must take part in its implementation. Finland, for her part, has expertise to offer and is prepared to make skilled personnel available to the EEAS.
The EEAS will be established in 2009. Building up the EEAS to its final shape will take time, but Finland’s goal is that consensus on all major issues can be reached this year, before the Treaty of Lisbon enters into force.
Additional information : Director General Kare Halonen, Department for Europe, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5044, and Juha Kirstilä, Press Attaché to Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, tel. +358 9 1605 5012