Decision 2010/427 - 2010/427/EU: Council Decision of 26 July 2010 establishing the organisation and functioning of the European External Action Service - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 201/30

The purpose of this Decision is to establish the organisation and functioning of the European External Action Service (‘EEAS’), a functionally autonomous body of the Union under the authority of the High Representative, set up by Article 27(3) of the Treaty on European Union (‘TEU’), as amended by the Treaty of Lisbon. This Decision and, in particular, the reference to the term ‘High Representative’ will be interpreted in accordance with his/her different functions under Article 18 TEU.

In accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 21(3) TEU, the Union will ensure consistency between the different areas of its external action and between those areas and its other policies. The Council and the Commission, assisted by the High Representative, will ensure that consistency and will cooperate to that effect.

The EEAS will support the High Representative, who is also a Vice-President of the Commission and the President of the Foreign Affairs Council, in fulfilling his/her mandate to conduct the Common Foreign and Security Policy (‘CFSP’) of the Union and to ensure the consistency of the Union’s external action as outlined, notably, in Articles 18 and 27 TEU. The EEAS will support the High Representative in his/her capacity as President of the Foreign Affairs Council, without prejudice to the normal tasks of the General Secretariat of the Council. The EEAS will also support the High Representative in his/her capacity as Vice-President of the Commission, in respect of his/her responsibilities within the Commission for responsibilities incumbent on it in external relations, and in coordinating other aspects of the Union’s external action, without prejudice to the normal tasks of the Commission services.

In its contribution to the Union’s external cooperation programmes, the EEAS should seek to ensure that the programmes fulfil the objectives for external action as set out in Article 21 TUE, in particular in paragraph (2)(d) thereof, and that they respect the objectives of the Union’s development policy in line with Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (‘TFEU’). In this context, the EEAS should also promote the fulfilment of the objectives of the European Consensus on Development (1) and the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid (2).

It results from the Treaty of Lisbon that, in order to implement its provisions, the EEAS must be operational as soon as possible after the entry into force of that Treaty.

The European Parliament will fully play its role in the external action of the Union, including its functions of political control as provided for in Article 14(1) TEU, as well as in legislative and budgetary matters as laid down in the Treaties. Furthermore, in accordance with Article 36 TEU, the High Representative will regularly consult the European Parliament on the main aspects and the basic choices of the CFSP and will ensure that the views of the European Parliament are duly taken into consideration. The EEAS will assist the High Representative in this regard. Specific arrangements should be made with regard to access for Members of the European Parliament to classified documents and information in the area of...