‘The European diplomatic service must stand up for European interests, and that of course includes Dutch interests. It should also enable the EU to take joint action to safeguard its interests when dealing with the great powers.’

Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Verhagen made these remarks in a letter sent today to the Dutch House of Representatives. The issue is now more important than ever, he said, given the rise of emerging powers like Brazil, China, India and Russia, and the global challenges we face in the areas of natural resources, climate change, energy supplies, migration, human rights, non-proliferation and counterterrorism.

High Representative Catherine Ashton’s proposal for the new European External Action Service (EEAS) will be discussed by the EU’s foreign ministers on 26 April. Its tasks will include offering consular protection to European citizens that get into difficulty, as Mr Verhagen proposed previously. The Netherlands will now press for consular protection to be implemented as a priority so that any Dutch national who has lost their passport can go to the EEAS for assistance.

The Netherlands also considers it vital that the High Representative have as much authority as possible over the EU budget for the Common Foreign and Security Policy. Finally, Mr Verhagen stressed that the new service must be able to work effectively with the member states. For that reason, the Netherlands will stand firm on the agreement that at least one-third of the diplomats for the new service must be provided by the member states themselves.



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