EEAS 2.0: A Legal Commentary on Council Decision 2010/427/EU Establishing the Organisation and Functioning of the European External Action Service

Abstract

The High Representative of the European External Action Service (EEAS) is held to provide a review of the organisation and functioning of the EEAS by mid-2013. This short and user-friendly legal commentary on the 2010 Council Decision establishing the organisation and functioning of the EEAS is the first of its kind. It is intended to inform those involved in the review process and to serve as a reference document for practitioners and analysts dealing with the EEAS. Rather than an elaborate doctrinal piece, this commentary is a textual and contextual analysis of each article that takes account of; i) other relevant legal provisions (primary, secondary, international), ii) the process leading to the adoption of the 2010 Council Decision, iii) the preamble of the Council Decision, and, iv) insofar as it is possible, early implementation. Wherever relevant, cross-references to other provisions of the Council Decision have been made to tie in the different commentaries and ensure overall consistency.

Keywords: European External Action Service, EEAS, Council Decision