Kasi-Blog

The future Foreign Service

The analysis gives a short overview over the conception of the future European Minister for Foreign Affairs and his European Foreign Service (EFS). In the following paragraphs I want to give background information on the External Service of the Commission, the national Diplomatic Services, the European Foreign Minister and the European Foreign Service.

The idea of a European Minister of Foreign Affairs stems from the goal of a more coherent Foreign and Security Policy of the EU.

He will wear a “double hat” – being a member of the Commission as well as receiving a mandate from the council. In order to carry out his many functions he needs to be supported by an extensive and competent apparatus.

After the Head of Governments signed the constitution during the Italian presidency, the preparatory works for the establishment of the European Foreign Service have started. Yet with regard to the delayed ratification process of the European Constitution, a number of conflicts about the implementation of the EFS have surfaced.

A brief glance at a few indicators on the National Diplomatic Services of the Member States shows that these conflicts are not superficial – they result from differences in the function and scope of the Diplomatic Service in the Member States.

Heavily discussed are mandate, institutional linkage and funding of the European Foreign Service. But also recruitment of staff and control through the parliament are controversial issues.

The article is also published on the European Forum of the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation-Scholars at https://www.fes-stip.de/download/europaforum/KarstenWenzlaff%282005%29-The_future_Foreign_Service_of_the_EU.pdf- Ein Vergleich des Europäischen Auswärtigen Dienst mit den Nationalen Diplomatischen Diensten

Me and a friend from the University of Bayreuth proposed to organize a seminar on SPSS and Empirical Social Research in the framework of the philosophy and sociology studies at the University of Bayreuth. The concept for the seminar can be found here.

Lectures, workshops, conferences or discussions in which I participated in various sections:

1. Summerhill and Sudbury – Alternative School Concepts
• Basis01, Bayerisches SchülerInnensymposium, March 2001
• Jugendmedientage 2002 of German Youth Press, 31st May 2002, Schwerin
• Jugendmediencamp der Jungen Presse Niedersachsen, Wennigsen, 16th May 2005
• Berlin 05, Youth Congress of the German Government, Berlin, 10th June 2005
2. Youth Politics in Germany and the World
• Campaign Meeting Ich-will-wählen, Berlin, May 2003
• Public Discussion with Giacomo Filibeck, President of the European Youth Forum, at a conference hosted by AEGEE Europe in Brussel, 25th of March 2004
3. Sustainability, CSR and Millenium Development Goals
• Seminar “What’s a sustainable Europe?” at Schloss Schney von YOIS Bayern und AEGEE Bayreuth, Schney, 6th of December 2003
• Annual Meeting of Friedrich-Ebert-Scholars, 15th of May 2005, Bonn
4. Education Politics
• Workshop “Learning for Change” at the International Youth Parliament, September 2000, Sydney
• Workshops on Education Politics on various meetings of the School Student Union of Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony, Bavaria, Hessen, Lower-Saxony, Berlin, 1998-2002
• Moderation of the German School Student Congress, Darmstadt, June 2002
• Discussion at Basis01, Bayerisches SchülerInnensymposium, März 2001
5. European Politics
• Lectures at SPD Groups in Franconia during European Elections 2004
• Public Discussion “God in the EU Constitution” in April 2004
• Participant in the TV Show “Sabine Christiansen”, 12.2. 2004
• Summer University of Bayreuth, July 2004
• Discussion at the Young European City, Berlin, June 2004
6. G8, Russia and Energy Politics
• Lecture at the American European Summer Academy, Schloss Hofen, 2006