ean External Action Service. I have no doubt that the work of the EEAS will become increasingly effective and it will contribute to forming high level European foreign and security policy and strengthening the role of the European Union on the world stage. The functioning of the EEAS must satisfy the principles of effective and efficient financial management. This year, we allocated an additional EUR 9.5 million to the EEAS, but it will be possible to assess the true costs after the first year of operation when a report on all the expenditure related to the work of the EEAS will be presented to the European Parliament. The European Parliament also plays a responsible role in the functioning of the EEAS to ensure the effective use of EEAS money and to make sure that European Union taxpayers' money creates real added value for the Community's policy and its people.
Tadeusz Zwiefka
I am certain no one in this House is in the slightest doubt as to the important role the European External Action Service will play in the work of the Union. Our work over the past few months has concentrated on ensuring that the service has the right legal basis and suitable instruments to enable its future work to be effective. We have worked under time pressure, and the negotiations have often been difficult. We have reached agreement with the Council and the Commission on many issues and I hope that the compromises which have been worked out will yield a favourable end result. The Committee on Legal Affairs had the task of proposing amendments to the Staff Regulations which will be appropriate to the needs of the new service and which will also guarantee that it will be independent and that its work will be of a high standard. I think the amendments adopted yesterday evening at the meeting of the Committee on Legal Affairs do give such guarantees, although personally, I do not find them completely satisfying, particularly on one matter. I think the question of geographical balance, which is emphasised so often, could have been resolve