Germany and France push to fold EU foreign service into Commission for stronger, cheaper diplomacy

Germany and France have jointly called for a major overhaul of the EU’s external action service, suggesting that the EEAS, which has operated semi-independently since 2010, be re-integrated as a regular directorate within the European Commission. The reform would also expand the body’s remit to cover defence, neighbourhood relations, development aid and potentially trade, with the aim of making EU foreign policy more coherent and cost-effective.

Under the plan, the EU’s foreign minister, Kaja Kallas, would gain formal authority but would become more directly answerable to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and her chief of staff Björn Seibert, a prospect Kallas says could undermine the system. She argued that small member states would lose control if decisions shift upward. Sweden’s foreign minister Maria Malmer Stenergard welcomed the effort, emphasizing the need to move away from unanimity and adopt qualified-majority voting for foreign policy matters. The debate reflects long-standing tensions over who should steer the EU’s diplomatic agenda and how to balance efficiency with member-state sovereignty.