European Parliament, Strasbourg, 19/10/2010

Calling attention to Parliament's failure to achieve its aim of comprehensive scrutiny for MEPs over the European External Action Service (EEAS), Spanish GUE/NGL MEP Willy Meyer told EU Foreign Policy chief Catherine Ashton that his group was "unconvinced" by the militarised, non-transparent and uncontrollable structure of the EEAS today in the European Parliament.

"Our group cannot support this as the structure doesn't convince us. If troops are going to be sent abroad then the EP should have full powers of scrutiny; this hasn't been achieved" he said. On behalf of the group, Meyer also expressed his solidarity with French workers on strike today.

Also speaking on the issue, Czech MEP Jiří Maštálka said that the new service would still mean that the EU could sometimes be left without a foreign policy on key issues and cited problems with the composition and geographic balance of the diplomatic corps.

GUE/NGL PRESS CONTACTS:
David Lundy + 32 485 50 58 12
Gianfranco Battistini + 32 475 64 66 28
Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20
Sonja Giese + 32 486 94 50 21
www.guengl.eu
Gauche Unitaire Européenne/Nordic Green Left
European Parliamentary Group