COMMON FOREIGN & SECURITY POLICY: SOLANA CALLS FOR MORE POWERS FOR HIGH REPRESENTATIVE.

In a set of proposals which entail a possible weakening of the role of the Commission and the dilution of some of the Member States' powers, Mr Solana says that the High Representative (HR) should have the right of initiative in foreign affairs. "The High Representative should be empowered to present proposal in his own right", he argues, instead of the current situation when the six-month rotating Council Presidency or the Commission sets the agenda depending on the type of action. Such proposals, especially in the fields of crisis management, should include the "whole spectrum of instruments at the disposal of the Community and Member States". However, Mr Solana does say that there should be greater use of joint proposals with the Commission. In addition, all external representation should be delegated by the Council to the High Representative, he suggests. This would mean that the HR should be even more clearly identified as the authoritative figure in EU foreign policy, avoiding situations when the Union's external partners have to deal with more than one person.

The High Representative should also permanently chair the External Relations Council, Mr Solana argues, saying that this would "greatly simplify the external representation process" while ensuring better planning and more consistent preparation of policy initiatives. Javier Solana also calls for wider use of qualified majority voting on Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) issues to overcome...