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Borrell: European Commission Oversteps Authority, Undermines EU Foreign Service
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ธ Serbia /Elections & Politics

Borrell: European Commission Oversteps Authority, Undermines EU Foreign Service

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Former EU High Representative Josep Borrell claims the European Commission is overstepping its authority and interfering with the EU's External Action Service (EEAS).
  • Borrell questions the legitimacy of a European Commissioner visiting Israel to speak on behalf of the EU, especially when he himself was denied entry.
  • He argues the Commission represents only itself, not the EU's foreign policy, which should be handled by the Council where member states hold competence.

Josep Borrell, the former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has accused the European Commission of exceeding its mandate and encroaching upon the responsibilities of the EU's External Action Service (EEAS). Borrell asserts that the Commission is creating confusion about who speaks for the Union on the global stage.

With what authority does a European commissioner go to Israel, to say that the EU and Israel love each other, that they celebrate Israel's role in peace and stability, while at the same time the High Representative of the EU is banned from entering Israel?

โ€” Josep BorrellQuestioning the European Commission's authority in foreign relations, specifically regarding Israel.

Citing an EU agreement that designates the Commission as the Union's representative, Borrell noted an exception for foreign and security policy matters. He questioned the authority of a European Commissioner to visit Israel and express the EU's positive sentiments towards the country, particularly when he, as the former High Representative, was barred from entering Israel. This perceived overlap in roles, Borrell stated, has led to "considerable chaos" in the EU's foreign policy machinery.

Borrell, a known critic of Israel's actions in the Palestinian territories, expressed particular displeasure with a recent visit by European Commissioner Dubravka ล uica to Israel. ล uica met with Israeli officials just days after the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, had her ties with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen severed. Kallas had previously drawn parallels between Israel's treatment of Palestinians and apartheid-era South Africa.

The European Commission does not speak, representing the EU, the Commission represents only the Commission.

โ€” Josep BorrellAsserting that the Commission's mandate does not extend to representing the EU's overall foreign policy.

He emphasized a clear distinction between the external dimension of EU policies, which falls under the Commission's purview, and the EU's foreign policy itself. Borrell argued that defining the EU's stance on conflicts, such as those in Iran or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, constitutes foreign policy. For a unified EU foreign policy position, he concluded, one must engage with the Council of the EU, where member states possess the primary competence.

If you want a common foreign policy position, then you go before the Council of the EU, where the member states have competence over foreign policy.

โ€” Josep BorrellExplaining the proper procedure for establishing the EU's foreign policy stance.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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