We held a consultation to define the aims and objectives of the European Union’s External Action Service:
- What is it for?
- How to ensure that it has clear goals?
- What should be its short and longer term priorities?
- How to ensure it supports adequately the High Representative, Vice-President and President of the European Council and relates effectively to the European Parliament. How to achieve strategic policy coherence and differentiate roles and responsibilities with member states?
- How to ensure the Service brings European and national foreign policy actors closer together, both with regard to better policy formulation and better policy execution?
- What multi-lateral capacity should it have? What skills must be incorporated for effective delivery? How to ensure ‘joined up’ use of all the tools at the EU’s disposal in the inter-governmental (common foreign and security policy) and the Community policies (such as trade, aid)?
- How to define the role of EU delegations and their tool kit?
- How to ‘market’ the service and ensure effective engagement with external actors?
- How to ensure its aims are communicated to, and in, member countries?
