The European Union is considering a major shake-up of its foreign policy system as member states seek a stronger and more united voice in a world marked by growing tensions and competition for global influence.
EU foreign ministers began discussions on Wednesday on how to reform the bloc’s diplomatic machinery, with France and Germany among countries pushing ideas that could change how Brussels handles foreign affairs.
The debate comes as the 27-member bloc continues to struggle with disagreements among member states and overlapping responsibilities between EU institutions, issues that have often slowed its response to international developments.
Proposals backed by France and Germany include moving some responsibilities from the European External Action Service (EEAS) to the European Commission, the EU’s executive body.
The proposed changes have raised concerns about the future role of EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, whose responsibilities could be reduced further if more control is placed in the hands of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Some diplomats have already accused von der Leyen of concentrating too much power within the Commission.
French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the proposals had generated debate but argued that EU countries shared the same broad goal.
"These proposals have sparked some controversy, and we will debate them, yet I believe the objective is shared: for the European Union to carry weight and write its own history," said French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
However, Kallas appeared to oppose any major change to the current structure after the ministers met in Ireland.
"There is broad support for the current institutional setup, so it should not be changed, but it should be better implemented," she said.
Kallas also warned that smaller EU countries were concerned about losing influence over foreign policy if greater authority was handed to the Commission.
She further criticised what she described as situations where decisions were being made above her position, in an apparent reference to von der Leyen.
"If we have had issues where there is somebody above me that is actually deciding -- then you know it doesn't work that way. Let's be very frank," she told reporters.
Rather than changing the institutions, Kallas said the EU should focus on making its decision-making process faster and more effective.
She called for changes that would make it harder for one member state to delay decisions supported by the rest of the bloc, pointing to the EU's lengthy and often difficult process for reaching common positions.
The disagreement is likely to continue as the EU works on its next long-term budget, with Germany also looking for areas where spending can be reduced.
The European External Action Service has an annual budget of about one billion euros ($1.2 billion) and has around 5,000 employees working in Brussels and in EU missions across the world.
Supporters of reform argue that some of the work carried out by the diplomatic service overlaps with responsibilities already handled by the European Commission.
They say moving some functions to the Commission could make it easier for the EU to coordinate foreign policy with other areas, including trade and international aid.
Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani said Germany was preparing to host a meeting of EU ministers in Berlin where the proposals would receive further discussion.
The talks are therefore expected to continue as EU governments weigh how to strengthen the bloc's global influence without creating further divisions over who should control its foreign policy