European External Action Service

European External Action Service
Bulgarian: Европейска служба за външна дейност
Croatian: Europska služba vanjskih poslova
Czech: Evropská služba pro vnější činnost
Danish: Tjenesten for EU's optræden udadtil
Dutch: Europese dienst voor extern optreden
Estonian: Euroopa välisteenistus
Finnish: Euroopan ulkosuhdehallinto
French: Service européen pour l'action extérieure
German: Europäischer Auswärtiger Dienst
Greek: Ευρωπαϊκή Υπηρεσία Εξωτερικής Δράσης
Hungarian: Európai külügyi szolgálat
Irish: An tSeirbhís Eorpach Gníomhaíochta Seachtraí
Italian: Servizio europeo per l'azione esterna
Latvian: Eiropas Ārējās darbības dienests
Lithuanian: Europos išorės veiksmų tarnyba
Maltese: Servizz Ewropew għall-Azzjoni Esterna
Polish: Europejska Służba Działań Zewnętrznych
Portuguese: Serviço Europeu de Ação Externa
Romanian: Serviciu european pentru acțiunea externa
Slovak: Európska služba pre vonkajšiu činnost
Slovene: Evropska služba za zunanje delovanje
Spanish: Servicio europeo de acción exterior
Swedish: Europeiska avdelningen för yttre åtgärder
Emblem of the EEAS
Agency overview
Formed1 December 2010 (2010-12-01)
Preceding agencies
TypeAutonomous institution
HeadquartersTriangle building
1046 Brussels, Belgium
50°50′33″N 4°23′8″E / 50.84250°N 4.38556°E / 50.84250; 4.38556
Employees4,169 (2018)[1]
Annual budget€678.5 million (2018)[2]
Agency executives
Child agencies
Key documents
Websiteeeas.europa.eu
Map
European External Action Service (Brussels)
The seat of the EEAS in the European Quarter of Brussels
The Kortenberg building, which houses most EEAS bodies related to the Common Security and Defence Policy

The European External Action Service (EEAS) is the diplomatic service in charge of executing all international relations of the European Union. The EEAS is led by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR/VP), who is also President of the Foreign Affairs Council and vice-president of the European Commission, and carries out the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), including the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).[3][4]

The EEAS does not propose or implement policy in its own name, but prepares acts to be adopted by the High Representative, the European Commission or the Council.[5] The EEAS is also in charge of EU diplomatic missions (delegations)[6] and intelligence and crisis management structures.[7][8][9]

The EEAS, as well as the office of the HR, was initiated following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon on 1 December 2009. It was formally established on 1 December 2010.[10] The EEAS was formed by merger of the external relations departments of the European Commission and of the Council, which were joined by staff seconded from national diplomatic services of the Member States.[4] Although it supports both the commission and the council, the EEAS is independent from them and has its own staff, as well as a separate section in the EU budget.[11]

The EEAS and the European Defence Agency (EDA) together form the Secretariat of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), the structural integration pursued by 25 of the 27 national armed forces of the EU since 2017.[12]

  1. ^ "EEAS Human Resources Report 2018" (PDF). July 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  2. ^ "EEAS Annual Activity Report 2018" (PDF). July 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference 23Oct was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Gatti, Mauro (2016). European External Action Service: Promoting Coherence Through Autonomy and Coordination. Leiden: Brill. p. 94. ISBN 9789004323612. OCLC 951833456.
  5. ^ Gatti, Mauro (2016). European External Action Service: Promoting Coherence Through Autonomy and Coordination. Leiden: Brill. p. 148. ISBN 9789004323612. OCLC 951833456.
  6. ^ Art. 5 of COUNCIL DECISION establishing the organisation and functioning of the European External Action Service (PDF), Council of the European Union, 20 July 2010
  7. ^ "The Crisis Management and Planning Directorate (CMPD)".
  8. ^ "The Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC)". EEAS - European External Action Service, European Commission.
  9. ^ "The European Union Military Staff (EUMS)". EEAS - European External Action Service, European Commission.
  10. ^ Rettman, Andrew (2 December 2010). "Ashton names EU foreign-service priorities at low-key launch event", EU Observer.
  11. ^ Gatti, Mauro (2016). European External Action Service: Promoting Coherence Through Autonomy and Coordination. Leiden: Brill. pp. 109–117. ISBN 9789004323612. OCLC 951833456.
  12. ^ Marrone, Alessandro. "Permanent Structured Cooperation: An Institutional Pathway for European Defence".