The exact nature of the new EU diplomatic corps which will be established by the Treaty of Lisbon, known as the European External Action Service (EEAS), is the subject of significant differences of opinion among Member States, it has recently emerged. In particular, there is disagreement over the size of the EEAS and its relationship with the European Commission and the secretariat of the Council of Ministers.

The Lisbon Treaty provides for the creation of the EEAS in order to serve the new High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, but does not go into specifics. Its staff will be drawn from the Commission, the Council secretariat and the foreign ministries of the Member States.

EU diplomats are reportedly in agreement that it should incorporate all posts from the Commission's Directorate General (DG) for External Relations and the Council secretariat dealing with geographically specific and horizontal issues, but exclude DG Trade and DG Development. Whether the DG for Enlargement will be included is still undecided.

On 21 May the Swedish Institute of European Policy Studies (SIEPS) published a report highlighting significant differences between EU Member States in terms of foreign policy and drawing attention to the tensions in the field of external relations between the various EU institutions and competing policy areas.

The legal status that the EEAS will possess is still under discussion, with Commission officials and some Member States arguing that the new service should be a "body" rather than an institution or an agency.

The Commission has been asked to present a draft structure for the EEAS on 2 June, as a focus for future discussion. 

Sources:

• European Voice
• http://www.euractiv.com/en/future-eu/think-tank-warns-eu-diplomatic-turf-wars/article-172524