- Directorate-General for External Relations (European Commission)
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Directorate-General for the External Relations Department overview Formed 1958 Dissolved 1 December 2011 Superseding agency European External Action Service
Foreign Policy Instruments ServiceHeadquarters Charlemagne building
Brussels, Belgium
50°50′37.14″N 4°22′49.12″E / 50.84365°N 4.3803111°EDepartment executives Benita Ferrero-Waldner, External Relations Commissioner
David O'Sullivan, Director GeneralThe Directorate-General for the External Relations (DG RELEX) (DG E VIII) was a Directorate-General of the European Commission, responsible for the external policy. The DG was merged into the European External Action Service in 2010, headed by Catherine Ashton (the High Representative).
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Role
"The Directorate-General for External Relations contributed to the formulation by the Commissioner for External Relations, together with her colleagues of an effective and coherent external relations policy for the European Union, so as to enable the EU to assert its identity on the international scene." To this end DG RELEX worked closely with other Directorates-General, notably DG Development, DG Enlargement, DG Trade, EuropeAid Co-Operation Office and European Commission's Humanitarian Office (ECHO).[1]
The DG operated the 120 Delegations and Offices around the world. In October 2010 David O'Sullivan was made the last Director General of RELEX (as he then became the first the chief operating officer of the EEAS) and the Deputy Director General was Karel Kovanda (2008). Prior to O'Sullivan taking over, the director-general was Eneko Landaburu (2003-2009), then João Vale de Almeida (2009-2010).
Merger
Under the Lisbon Treaty, the European External Action Service (EEAS) took over RELEX's functions, merging them with its counterpart's in the Council of the European Union as of 1 December 2010. Under the second Barroso Commission, the elements of RELEX relating to international climate change negotiations were transferred to the new Climate Action DG.[2] This was in preparation for the merger as not all foreign policy DGs were to be merged but elements of a number. A minor turf war erupted as the Commission attempted to retain control of certain policy areas in the face of EEAS' consolidation. Those areas of RELEX that the commission retains but needs close cooperation with the EEAS were established in a new DG, the Foreign Policy Instruments Service.
See also
Foreign relations of the European Union
Bilateral relations Africa & ME Cape Verde · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Jordan · Lebanon · Morocco · Palestine · South Africa · Syria · YemenAmericas Asia-Pacific Australia · China (People's Republic of) · Fiji · India · Indonesia · Japan · Nepal · North Korea · Pakistan · South KoreaEurope &
Central AsiaAlbania · Andorra · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Belarus · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Croatia · Cyprus (Turkish Republic of)† · Faroe Islands · Georgia · Iceland · Kazakhstan · Kosovo† · Liechtenstein · Macedonia‡ · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Norway · Russia · San Marino · Serbia · Switzerland · Turkey · Ukraine · Vatican CityGeneral † = Disputed state, may not be recognised as an independent state by some or all European Union or United Nations members. ‡ Name disputed by Greece, EU recognises the Republic of Macedonia as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.Multilateral relations and initiatives Organisations Initiatives African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States · Asia–Europe Meeting · Customs Union · Eastern Partnership · Energy Community · Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly · European Common Aviation Area · European Economic Area · Euro-Mediterranean free trade area · Euromediterranean Partnership · Euronest · Economic Partnership Agreements · Neighbourhood Policy · Northern Dimension · Mediterranean Union · Stabilisation and Association Process · Association AgreementOrganisation Policy Common Foreign and Security Policy · Economic Relations · Everything but Arms · Security and Defence Policy · EnlargementActors ECHO · EuropeAid · External Action Service · Foreign Affairs Council · High Representative Catherine Ashton · Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee · Foreign Policy Instruments ServiceDiplomatic missions Military and security Initiatives Defence Initiative · Synch. Armed Forces Europe · Defence Procurement · Petersberg tasks · Helsinki Headline GoalStructures Political and Security Committee · Military Committee · Military Staff · Operations Centre · Security & Defence College · Defence Agency · Institute for Security Studies · Satellite Centre · Joint Situation CentreForces References
Administration of the European Commission Civil Service Policy DGs Agriculture · Climate Action · Competition · Economic and Financial Affairs · Education and Culture · Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities · Enterprise and Industry · Environment · Fisheries and Maritime Affairs · Health and Consumers · Home Affairs · Information Society and Media · Internal Market and Services · Joint Research Centre · Justice · Regional Policy · Research · Taxation and Customs Union · Mobility and Transport · EnergyExternal DGs Foreign Policy Instruments Service · Enlargement · Trade · EuropeAid Development and Cooperation · Humanitarian Aid OfficeGeneral Services Internal Services Buildings Categories:- Directorates-General in the European Commission
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