BRUSSELS, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- The European Union's Lisbon Treaty may streamline EU operations but likely won't produce the long-sought single voice for Europe, a senior U.S. official says.
The EU still will be represented by a plethora of high-level officials once the Lisbon Treaty goes into effect Dec. 1 and the United States will continue to seek unanimity on foreign policy issues, Richard Morningstar, a special adviser on energy to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Brussels Wednesday.
"I do think the Lisbon Treaty helps, from the standpoint of consolidating the jobs of the commissioner for external relations and the high representative for foreign affairs," Morningstar said. "At least in the EU as a structure I suppose there will be one number to call."
The veteran diplomat seemed unimpressed, however, by the changes since cooperation has been good under the present EU setup.
