Publication

This paper discusses the establishment of a European Foreign Service (EFS) within the framework of the European Union. The paper covers issues that address the nature of the EFS, its institutional, organizational and management complexities, and the extent of the EFS policy engagement. The paper devotes particular attention to the institutional and functional complexities of the proposed position of the EU Foreign Minister. The authors consider the impact of such EPS developments on national diplomacies and the coordination of the EPS training. The authors suggest that the EFS should adopt the model of traditional diplomatic structures, which includes accepting traditional responsibility for external political relations, setting the external agenda, and developing a public diplomacy. The authors conclude that the role of the EU Foreign Minister, coupled with the establishment of the EFS, will enhance the EU habit of cooperation and compel more coherent external actions of the EU.