As difficult negotiations continue about the shape of the European External Action Service (EAS), the bloc’s new-style diplomatic corps created by the Lisbon Treaty, Bulgaria has set out its perspective for the posts and role it wants in the service.
 
This emerged as EU foreign ministers met on March 22 2010, with Bulgaria represented by Deputy Minister Konstantin Dimitrov, substituting for Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov who was travelling with Prime Minister Boiko Borissov in Qatar and Kuwait.
 
Admitting that it was unrealistic to bid for one of the posts of deputy secretary-general of the EAS, Bulgaria wanted at least one post as head of a diplomatic mission, and overall about 10 to 20 posts in the EAS, preferably in the Western Balkans, Black Sea region and Central Asia, where Bulgaria could offer a wealth of experience in dealing with issues related to the countries in these regions, Dimitrov said.
 
Finalising the shape of the EAS is proving a difficult task, for a number of reasons.
 
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who has a dual role as a vice-president of the European Commission and as a representative of the collective 27 member states of the EU, was meant to come up with a final proposal that would see the EAS set up by the end of April, but it remains doubtful that the service will be operational by then.
 
Turf wars are being fought in a number of arenas and among a number of players, with differing views on how recruitment for the service should work, as well as disputes on issues of representation within the service of EU countries according to size and geographical location within the bloc.
 
Budgeting is to be "co-decided" by the European Commission and European Parliament.