Directorate-General for External Relations (European Commission)

Directorate-General for the External Relations
Department overview
Charlemagne building, RELEX HQ
Formed	1958
Dissolved	1 December 2011
Superseding agency	European External Action Service Foreign Policy Instruments Service
Type	Department
Headquarters	Charlemagne building Brussels, Belgium 50°50′37.14″N 4°22′49.12″E / 50.8436500°N 4.3803111°E / 50.8436500; 4.3803111
Department executives	Benita Ferrero-Waldner, External Relations Commissioner David O'Sullivan, Director General

The 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).

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 counterparts 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: Economic relationships with third countries

Africa & the Middle East	Bahrain Cape Verde Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Lebanon Morocco Palestine† South Africa Syria Yemen

Americas	Argentina Brazil Canada Cuba Greenland Mexico United States

Asia-Pacific	Australia China (People's Republic of) India Indonesia Japan Kazakhstan Malaysia Nepal North Korea Pakistan Philippines South Korea

Europe	Albania Andorra Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina Faroe Islands Georgia Iceland Kosovo† Liechtenstein Macedonia Moldova Monaco Montenegro Northern Cyprus (Turkish Republic of)† Norway Russia San Marino Serbia Switzerland Turkey Ukraine Vatican City

General	Members’ overseas territories Largest trading partners Association Agreements Free trade agreements

†= Disputed state, may not be recognised as an independent state by some or all European Union members.

Multilateral relations and initiatives

Organisations	Arab League ASEAN Commonwealth of Nations ECHR G8 ICC United Nations

Initiatives	African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Asia–Europe Meeting CARIFORUM Customs Union Eastern Partnership Energy Community Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly European Common Aviation Area European Economic Area Euro-Mediterranean free trade area Euro-Mediterranean Partnership Euronest Economic Partnership Agreements EU CBRN Risk Mitigation CoE Initiative Neighbourhood Policy Northern Dimension Mediterranean Union Stabilisation and Association Process

Andministration and policies

Foreign and Security Policy	Security Strategy Everything but Arms Security and Defence Policy Enlargement

Administration	Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development External Action Service Foreign Affairs Council High Representative (Federica Mogherini) Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee Foreign Policy Instruments Service Diplomatic missions of the EU (ambassadors) / to the EU Special Representatives

Military and security

Initiatives	Defence Initiative Synchronised Armed Forces Defence Procurement Petersberg tasks Helsinki Headline Goal

Structures	Political and Security Committee Military Committee Military Staff Operations Centre Security & Defence College Defence Agency Institute for Security Studies Satellite Centre Joint Situation Centre

Forces	Eurofor Eurocorps EU Battlegroup EU Gendarmerie Force EU Maritime Force Deployments

References

Administration of the European Commission

Table of European Commission Directorates-General and Services DG = Directorate-General

Civil Service	Directorates-General Cabinets Comitology EPSO Civil Service Tribunal

Policy DGs	Agriculture and Rural Development Climate Action Communications Networks, Content and Technology Competition Economic and Financial Affairs Education and Culture Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Inclusion Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Environment Health and Food Safety Migration and Home Affairs Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union Joint Research Centre Justice and Consumers Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Regional and Urban Policy Research and Innovation Taxation and Customs Union Mobility and Transport Energy

External DGs	Service for Foreign Policy Instruments Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations Trade International Cooperation and Development European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations

General Services	Communication Eurostat OLAF Publications Secretariat-General Secretary-General Europe by Satellite Structural Reform Support Service

Internal Services	Budget European Political Strategy Centre Informatics Data Protection Officer Infrastructures and Logistics (Brussels & Luxembourg) Internal Audit Service Interpretation Legal Service PMO Human Resources and Security Translation

Buildings	Berlaymont Breydel Charlemagne Convent Van Maerlant Missions

European Union portal Brussels portal

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Directorate-General for External Relations (European Commission)

Role

Merger

See also

References