Vice-President Šefcovic tells Europe's Foreign Ministers: review of European External Action Service must strengthen the role of the EU as a global player - Main contents

European Commission

MEMO

Brussels, 22 March 2013

Vice-President Šefcovic tells Europe's Foreign Ministers: review of European External Action Service must strengthen the role of the EU as a global player

Speaking in Dublin at the 'Gymnich i', the biannual informal gathering of EU Foreign Ministers, Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič said the Commission has a clear interest in the upcoming EEAS i review.

He said: " As a major stakeholder in the EEAS, the Commission has a close interest in this exercise. We should all give High Representative Ashton the necessary space to carry out this work in a serene manner.

"The Commission is very supportive of the work of the EEAS under the leadership of the High Representative/Vice-President. The Commission's approach to the review is guided by making the relationship even stronger, and ensuring that we can continue to bring all our instruments and policies together in a coherent manner, to make the EU a more effective actor on the world stage."

The review of the European External Action Service will be completed this summer. The review clause was written into the decision establishing the EEAS, to allow fine-tuning of how the service works, based on the first two years of experience.