EU to propose new foreign minister role

The body charting the future of the European Union will unveil proposals next week on the creation of an EU foreign minister, officials said yesterday.

The draft legislation will seek to combat criticism that the EU speaks with two voices on the world stage - currently European External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten, who sits in the EU's executive body, and High Representative Javier Solana, who is answerable to EU heads of state.

The proposals will be launched at the Convention on the Future of Europe headed by former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing on April 24-25.

Convention spokesman Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut said the plans would build on a report released in December which said the EU foreign minister would be appointed by heads of state but sit in the European Commission, holding the title of vice-president. However, it is unclear where the EU foreign minister's base would be. The Commission says it should be on its turf, arguing most of the minister's activity would be under its competence.

France, Germany and the Netherlands are promoting the single foreign minister idea, saying it would bring greater coherence to the EU's voice. Britain says it would only create confusion.

The new foreign role fits into a broader debate on institutional reform, which will be discussed in Athens on April 16 at a special summit of EU and candidate country leaders.

The 105-member Convention, made up of parliamentarians and officials from the 15 EU member states, candidate countries and EU institutions, is due to complete the draft constitution in time for a summit of EU leaders in Greece on June 20-21.