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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Answer

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on preparations being made within (a) the European Commission and (b) the UK Civil Service for the establishment of an EU foreign service as set out in the European Constitution; how many employees he expects will be required; at what estimated cost; and what measures are being taken to encourage recruitment of UK personnel (i) via the Commission and (ii) direct from Government Departments. [204089] Mr. MacShane: Member states meeting in the Intergovernmental Conference agreed that, as soon as the Treaty was signed, the High Representative/ Secretary General, the Commission and member states should begin preparatory work on the European External Action Service. This Service would only be established on the entry into force of the Constitutional Treaty. With a view to the start of such preparatory work, the Government have, as have other member states and the EU Institutions, been considering how best to take this work forward. Such considerations are at a very early stage, and no decisions, including on size of the proposed Action Service, staffing, costs or recruitment have been taken. The Commission personnel for the new service are expected to be drawn from existing relevant Commission departments. But the Government are actively looking at how we can ensure a high level of UK representation in the service as member state secondees.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

204089; 428 c1065W

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Administration Costs EU common foreign and security policy Recruitment

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk