BRUSSELS, June 22 (UPI) -- European diplomatic chief Catherine Ashton and the European Parliament have announced a compromise Tuesday on the shape of the EU foreign service.
Under the agreement, the service's administrative budget will not be subject to external monitoring, the EUobserver reported. But the external budget will be controlled by the European Commission and monitored by the parliament.
The compromise also limits diplomats from member states serving temporarily to no more than 40 percent of the foreign service staff.
Ashton also agreed to consultation with members of parliament before foreign missions.
The foreign service was created by the Treaty of Lisbon with the goal of allowing the union to deal with other countries as a single unit. Ashton and her staff hope by get the service in operation by Dec. 1, a year after the treaty took effect.
