Developments in the European Union - Foreign Affairs Committee Contents


Letter to the Chairman of the Committee from the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

  When I appeared before your Committee on 9 December last year, I undertook to follow-up with some further information in respect of two issues.

  The Committee asked whether the European External Action Service (EEAS) would take over the EU Military Committee. The EU Military Committee is a Council body, like the Political and Security Committee or COREPER, and I fully expect it to remain so. The Chair of the EU Military Committee is appointed by the Council following a recommendation from the EU Military Committee Chiefs of Defence and we expect that it will continue to be chaired according to these arrangements.

  You also asked me to pass on any further information I had in respect of the small team that has been advising Baroness Ashton on the work that she has been doing since her appointment. In addition to her Cabinet, Baroness Ashton is currently able to draw on the assistance of those parts of the Commission and Council Secretariat that lead on external relations, predominantly Directorate-General RELEX and the Council Secretariat's Directorate-General External, as well as the EU Delegations. To support her specifically in preparing the draft proposal on the establishment of the EEAS, Baroness Ashton has also set up a high level group (the `Ashton Group'). The Group consists of senior members of the Council and the Commission and three COREPER (ie Member State) Ambassadors.Baroness Ashton has made it clear that the work on the Decision to establish the EEAS will be taken forward in full consultation and in close co-operation with the member states.

Rt Hon David Miliband MP

13 January 2010





 
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