Britain's Ashton wins in battle against vested Brussels interests - 2010-07-08

Europe's new diplomatic service led by Britain's Cathy Ashton has been given the green light today (Thursday) with parliamentary approval of the service more than six months after Ashton was first appointed.

The agreement has been welcomed as a defeat for those seeking to preserve bureaucratic empires in Brussels.

Labour's Foreign Affairs Spokesperson in the European Parliament, Richard Howitt MEP, helped thwart a last minute attempt by the Parliament's centre-right grouping to further delay agreement by pushing back the vote until after the summer recess.

The British Labour Euro-MP warned that failure to agree further technical changes to staffing and financial rules by October at the latest could result in unnecessary delays, with potential staff put through the recruitment process but unable to be appointed to the new jobs.

Speaking about the parliament's vote, Richard Howitt MEP said:

"This is a defeat for those vested interests from governments, the European Commission and from parliament itself - too many of whom were more interested in preserving their own empires at the expense of creating an effective new external service which properly reflects the spirit of the Lisbon Treaty and gives Cathy Ashton the tools for the
job.

"There is no excuse for further evasion or delay in agreeing the additional changes needed to technical rules on staff and finance, where Parliament's responsibilities are clear and the hard-won compromise must be respected.

"We will still be in a situation where the first anniversary of Cathy's appointment will be approaching and the service she has been asked to lead will only just have been created.

"Any further delay could see new staff interviewed but applicants sitting by their letter boxes waiting for letters of appointment that can't be posted until the further changes are finalised.

"Cathy Ashton has brokered the best possible deal to create an ambitious and inclusive service which genuinely brings together all of the European Union's outward facing activities to produce a combined strong voice for Europe in the world.

"The European Parliament should speak clearly in favour of the agreement or it is Europe which will lose its voice."

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