Social Watch Press Release 25 March 2010
Social Watch reacts to Ashton’s pre-emptive announcement of the EEAS deal with the European Commission
Social Watch takes exception to the shocking announcement by Baroness Ashton of a deal to incorporate development cooperation into the foreign policy and security institution that she will lead, called the European External Action Service, or EEAS. The announcement has taken Member States, European Parliament and the wider civil society by surprise.
The announcement comes as a result of a deal with the European Commission without the consent of Member States and the European Parliament. This means that the executive arms of the European Union are conspiring to divvy up the powers which legitimately belong with the democratic organs of the European Union.
“This sounds like a move to undermine the democratic integrity of the European Union, and the surprise announcement raises questions of what intentions lie behind this deal.” states Professor Edward Oyugi of the Social Development Network in Kenya, “She is creating for herself an exclusive domain under her direct unaccountable control.”
Concerns have been raised over lack of democratic accountability of this new institution, which Member States and the European Parliament will have no way of controlling. “The deal seems to be an arm twist approach by the biggest EU Member States”, says Mirjam van Reisen of Europe External Policy Advisors. She further adds, “This high handedness in announcing the deal is also reflective of the arrogance with which this institution is intending to operate.”
It is also very scary that up to a 10 billion of development resources will be put at Ashton’s disposal to use without any scrutiny by the European Parliament.
“Public resources earmarked in the budget for poverty eradication in poor countries will be spent for the promotion of Europe’s strategic interests in foreign policy and security, which is the mandate of the EEAS. This is clearly unacceptable.” says Roberto Bissio, coordinator of the international Social Watch movement.
The move is also condemned by Simon Stocker from Eurostep: “It goes against the spirit and the letter of the Lisbon Treaty which puts development co-operation clearly under the Commission responsibility with Parliamentary oversight, thereby cheating the European voters, who have expressed fears over the centralisation of decisions outside democratic accountability.”
25 March 2010
