France and Germany are considering proposals for a radical reform of the EU's 15-year-old diplomatic service, in a bid to improve the bloc's response to geopolitical crises.
Paris, Berlin and other capitals are considering options that include stripping the bloc's top diplomat Kaja Kallas and the European External Action Service (EEAS), which has an annual budget of one billion euros, of their powers and returning them to the European Commission and member states, according to five senior officials familiar with the discussions, the British Financial Times reports.
"It's clear that [the EEAS] is not functioning as it should in today's world. It's dysfunctional," one official said.
The problem is structural in nature and therefore the structure must be rebuilt.”
In recent years, the EU has been rocked by wars in Ukraine and Iran, the whims of US President Donald Trump, and the increasing use of tariffs, economic coercion, and energy as foreign policy instruments, with many questioning whether the EEAS is up to the task of coordinating effective responses.
The proposal, which would overturn the objectives of the 16-year-old decision to establish the EEAS as an autonomous service, is one of several options outlined in the French government's assessment shared with other member states.
One idea proposed by Paris is to limit the autonomy of the chief diplomat — a position that currently has a dual role, reporting to both member states and the Commission — as well as weaken her control over the network of more than 140 delegations managed by the EEAS in countries around the world.
"The capitals are dissatisfied and want an effective way for us to appear united externally," said another official.
"There is a real risk that [the EEAS] will be torn apart."
Advocates of restructuring the diplomatic service believe it can be done without changing the EU treaty, which stipulates that the EEAS should “assist” the chief diplomat under terms agreed by member states, dating back to 2010. Any change to those terms would require unanimous support from all 27 EU member states.
Several countries have argued in private conversations that there is too much overlap and a lack of coordination between the EEAS, national foreign ministries and the Commission and Council directorates in charge of external relations, officials said, according to the Financial Times.
These concerns are further heightened by the impression that Kallas is expressing her own views on issues such as EU-China relations, as well as making proposals that have not yet been approved by the capitals.
At the same time, the EEAS and the Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, are fighting for primacy over foreign and security policy issues.
Von der Leyen — a former German defense minister — has expanded her role beyond traditional frameworks by operating the so-called “geopolitical Commission,” appointing the bloc’s first defense commissioner, and regularly taking a leading role in the EU’s response to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
She has also considered establishing an intelligence-sharing unit similar to the one that already exists within the EEAS — an idea that Kalas opposes.
Three officials said that the EEAS reform could also be influenced by ongoing talks on the bloc's next common budget, in which many member states are demanding savings and simplified procedures in Brussels.
Transferring EEAS powers to directorates within the Commission and Council could save money by reducing the number of posts, officials said. Drawing up sanctions lists and proposals for military missions, for example, could be transferred to the Council, while day-to-day diplomacy would be overseen by the Commission.
Ideas on how to reshape the EU's external service are also being considered in the drafting of a new security strategy, which the Commission is expected to publish this summer, two officials said.
The French assessment of possible solutions, which is preliminary, is being discussed bilaterally at a high level between EU governments and is one of several options being put forward for the future of the EEAS, officials said. Paris has made clear that all options have advantages and disadvantages.
The Elysee Palace declined to comment.
Representative Kalas told the FT that she was “fully focused on fulfilling her mandate”, adding: “An important part of this is further strengthening both the EEAS and the Commission in implementing the treaties in the field of external action and the common foreign and security policy.”
"EU foreign policy is strong when EU member states are united," the representative added.
The French Foreign Ministry referred to statements by Minister Jean-Noël Barrot in March that the EU needs a stronger diplomatic service that "works in close coordination with member states and ensures that the specific competences of each institution are respected, particularly in the future European security strategy."
Asked by the FT about the proposals, a German official said: “In a changing world it is clear that we need a stronger EU and a stronger EU foreign policy arm. That is why, since the establishment of the EEAS, we have sought and continue to seek to improve our decision-making processes and strengthen our common foreign policy.”
The EEAS is also conducting studies internally on possible ideas for reform, officials added.
Stefan Lehne, a former EU official who is now a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe in Brussels, said: “If you look at the development of EU foreign policy over the past five years, it is quite clear that the results have not been positive.”
“There is a need to respond to the negative environment from all sides, and institutional change is one way to do that,” Lene added.
"It would be strange not to adapt the instruments and structure to the new reality that the EU faces today."
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