By Daisy Ayliffe - 7th June 2006
The European commission’s new foreign policy proposals do not amount to a ‘cherry picking’ of the constitution, José Manuel Barroso has said.
The commission president said he is seeking closer cooperation with foreign policy chief Javier Solana - but insists this is not implementing the EU’s rejected constitution by the back door.
“We are changing the system, we are establishing a culture of cooperation but we are not indulging in a cherry picking exercise from the constitution,” Barroso told reporters.
“I think it would be a mistake to do that. We do want the constitution’s solutions and I have said that before – we want a foreign minister who is, by the same token, vice-president of the commission...but I am bound by the treaties and I have to respect them.”
One of the constitution’s prime innovations was that an EU foreign minister would represent the member states and sit in the commission at the same time.
The European charter also proposed that the EU foreign minister would head a common diplomatic service.
While the paper is careful to note that it is not intending to reopen a debate on the future of the constitutional treaty, it does seek further integration of commission and member states’ foreign policy agendas.
The commission plans to strengthen its Relex (external relations) group of commissioners under the authority of Barroso.
Solana will also be invited to work closely together with the Relex team.
“In previous commissions the high representative had not been invited to Relex meetings – I have invited Solana to several,” Barosso commented.
EU external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said the proposals would help the EU inform foreign policy without changing the existing treaty.
“If the EU is to punch its weight in the world, we must harness the synergies between all the actors involved,” she said.
“I am looking forward to developing new ways of working to ensure we maximise our leverage and influence in international affairs.”
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