EU FMs mull making European foreign policy more effective, Kaja Kallas says

EU foreign ministers will discuss making European foreign policy more effective at an informal meeting in Ireland, against the backdrop of ongoing discussions regarding the reform of the European External Action Service (EEAS), High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said ahead of the meeting.

"Then we will talk about our internal issues, European foreign policy as such - how we can be more effective in this regard?" Kallas told journalists before the start of the informal meeting of foreign ministers.

Report's European bureau quotes her as saying the key problem remains finding a balance between the unity of EU member states and the existing principle of unanimity in foreign policy decision-making.

"In this geopolitical context, we have to be more agile, and we have to really be able to react to situations that are upcoming," she noted.

The discussion comes against the backdrop of proposals from France and Germany to review the operation of the European diplomatic service and strengthen foreign policy coordination within the European Commission.

Under the idea being discussed, Kallas could receive a broader coordinating role, but her work would be tied more closely to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Another scenario provides for strengthening the role of the European Council, which would grant member states greater authority in the operational conduct of EU foreign policy.

The Franco-German initiative remains a subject of discussion for now, while Kallas herself has in recent months called on EU countries to submit proposals for improving the bloc's foreign policy work.

It is reported that an exchange of views on possible changes may continue at the level of EU leaders in October.

A distinct part of the discussion involves the principle of unanimity, which allows a single country to block EU foreign policy decisions.

Germany and 10 other EU nations - Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, and Sweden - have called for considering a departure from blocking vetoes and transitioning to qualified majority voting on select foreign policy matters.

At the same time, changing decision-making rules remains a significantly more complex issue than the administrative restructuring of the EEAS. The discussion on reforming European foreign policy is likely to continue well beyond the current informal ministerial gathering.