2 DFómh 2012, 15:59
Secretary General of the European External Action Service, Pierre Vimont, will brief the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade on the role and work of the service at its meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, 3rd October, 2012.
The Lisbon Treaty created the post of a new foreign affairs chief who would head the European Union's international diplomacy. In this role they would be supported by a new diplomatic corps – the European External Action Service (EEAS).
The EEAS assists the High Representative – a post currently held by Catherine Ashton – in ensuring the consistency and coordination of the Union's external action as well as by preparing policy proposals and implementing them after their approval by the Council.
Committee Chairman, Pat Breen TD said: “At our meeting tomorrow with Mr Vimont we will get an update on the development of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the European External Action Service. We look forward to discussing Common Foreign and Security Policy priorities with him, including a number of the major current foreign policy issues, such as the situation in Syria and the developing refugee crisis arising from the conflict there as well as the developing situation in Iran and the Middle East Peace Process.”
This meeting will start in Committee Room 1, Leinster House at 2.30pm on Wednesday, 3rd October 2012.
Committee proceedings can be followed live at:
For further information please contact:
Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551
Committee Membership
Pat Breen, TD (Chairman)
Eric Byrne, TD
Olivia Mitchell, TD
Bernard J Durkan, TD
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, TD
Gerald Nash, TD
Dan Neville, TD
Maureen O’Sullivan, TD
Brendan Smith, TD
Senators
Deirdre Clune,
Mark Daly,
Lorraine Higgins,
Michael Mullins,
David Norris,
Jim Walsh.