Published : 02 Sep 2026, 09:33 PM
Updated : 16 Sep 2026, 11:47 AM
The European Commission is drawing up plans to break up the EU diplomatic service and fold parts of it into the bloc’s executive branch, reports the Financial Times.
The decision comes as France and Germany are demanding broad reforms to the foreign policy machinery of Brussels by the ned of the year.
Officials have begun studying which of the European External Action Service (EEAS) could be folded into existing departments at the commission, sources told the Financial Times.
The EEAS has drawn criticism from member countries that see it as struggling to respond to crises such as the wars in Ukraine and Iran, Donald Trump’s aggressive foreign policy, and the growing use of economic coercion for statecraft.
The plans are intended to cut redundancy and align the EU’s diplomatic work with the Commission’s powers over trade, aid, digital regulation and technology.
It is also intended as a way for countries to press Brussels to tighten its belt in negotiations for the next budget.
To improve efficiency, EEAS would not be brought into the rest of the commission, but its existing functions would be distributed among the different departments.
Supporters of the initiative say the reform would make EU foreign policy more coherent, reduce duplication and lower external policy spending.
The power transfer could be agreed in December as part of a deal on the EU’s 2028-34 budget. However, plans are still early and could change, the sources said.
Further steps may be taken before an EU summit in October.
“There are ongoing reflections and discussions on how to reform and strengthen the EU’s external action,” a Commission spokesperson told the Financial Times.
“Taking into account the geopolitical environment, it is clear we must continuously modernise and adapt to ensure our tools, structures and decision-making processes can continue to deliver effective action. The Commission is ready to contribute to this discussion.”
An EU official said EEAS chief Kaja Kallas “will discuss with foreign ministers how to make the EU’s external action more efficient”.
The official added, “Any decisions on the future of the EEAS can only be taken with the approval of member states.”
Kallas has yet to comment on the situation.
