Who controls foreign affairs?

THE EEAS

The decision to set up the European External Action Service (EEAS) is to be taken by the member states by April, based on a proposal by Catherine Ashton, the EU's foreign policy chief. The new service is to become operational within months of that decision, perhaps by 1 July or, failing that, by 31 August. The start-up phase is not, however, expected to be completed until July 2013.
Ashton is currently drafting her proposal in consultation with a steering group made up of representatives of the member states, the Council of Ministers' secretariat and the European Commission. An official from the secretariat of the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee has recently been given the right to attend the group's meetings to ensure that MEPs are aware of the debates there (see Page 7).
Before the EEAS is established, member states and the Parliament will have to endorse revisions to three legislative acts – drafted by the Commission – required to ensure it can function: on staff regulations, on financial regulations and on re-allocating funds from the Commission's external relations activities to the service. Commission officials are currently studying draft amendments to the EU's staff regulations. These are expected to be endorsed by the college of commissioners shortly.