R ÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE ______

Resolution of the French Senate about the European External Action Service

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1. The French Senate,

2. Considering Article 88-4 of the Constitution,

3. Considering the Report of the Swedish Presidency on guidelines concerning the European External Action Service (doc. 14930/09) approved by the European Council on 29 and 30 of October 2009,

4. Considering the draft Council Decision establishing the organization and the functioning of the European External Action Service (text E 5220),

5. Considering the regulation proposal amending Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 on the financial Regulation applicable to the General Budget of the European Communities concerning the European External Action Service (text E 5216)

6. Considering that the establishment of the European External Action Service is of major importance for strengthening the coherence and effectiveness of the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union;

7. Recalling that this Service must be placed under the authority of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, but also assist the European Council President, the President and members of the Commission and closely cooperate with the diplomatic services of Member States;

8. Recalling that Common Foreign Policy remains an inter-governmental policy and Declaration No 14 – annexed to the Lisbon Treaty – which states that “the provisions covering the Common Foreign and Security Policy do not give new powers to the Commission to initiate decisions nor do they increase the role of the European Parliament”.

9. Considering that the treaties do not confer specific powers to the European Parliament to intervene in the action of the European External Action Service or to decide on the appointment of heads of delegations or special representatives of the European Union;

10. Judging it essential that national parliaments can maintain close relations with the European External Action Service; deeply regretting that the report of the Swedish Presidency does not mention that contacts should be established between this Service and the National Parliaments ;

11. Calls on the Government to work within the Council, so that the following principles are taken into account:

12. – The European External Service Action must be a sui generis apparatus of the European Union, separate from the European Commission and the Council, and having full autonomy concerning budgetary matters and human resources management;

13. – The scope of this Service should be as broad as possible and especially include Enlargement, the Neighborhood Policy and Development Cooperation; the Service must be granted, under the authority of the High Representative, a leadership role in the preparation of the development of strategic orientation of the financial external instruments of the European Union, including Development Aid;

14. – The structures of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and crisis management should also be part of this Service, while being directly under the authority of the High Representative, in its sole capacity as High Representative, in order to preserve the autonomy of their chains of command;

15. – The European External Action Service should include functions that would take on the responsibility for the relations with the parliaments of the European Union, that is to say with the European Parliament and the National Parliaments;

16. – French officials must be sufficiently represented in the European External Action Service, at all levels, and the place of French must be guaranteed, as a working language within this Service and constituting a true working language and communication language with the citizens of the European Union, and also with third countries and international organizations.