European Parliament lawmakers are demanding that EU governments give them the power to oversee a new single European diplomatic service.German Conservative Elmar Brok says the European Union's planned 5,000-strong diplomatic corps must be able to craft a common EU foreign policy without interference from member states. The corps is part of the reform treaty that still has to be ratified by the Czech Republic.
Sweden's EU Affairs Minister Cecilia Malmstrom told lawmakers on Wednesday that negotiations on setting out how to operate the new service are making progress.
Under the treaty, the EU would also get a more powerful foreign policy chief.