GENERAL ASSEMBLY DEFERS CONSIDERATION ON EUROPEAN UNION PROPOSAL

Source: unic.org

The General Assembly voted today to defer consideration on a proposal to allow the recently appointed senior officials of the European Union to address the 192-member body on behalf of the regional bloc.

The proposal was defeated after 76 Member States voted early this afternoon in favour of postponing debate on a resolution drafted by the EU, compared to 71 countries against and 26 others abstaining.

The EU is seeking to allow its President Herman van Rompuy and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton address the General Assembly on behalf of all 27 members of the bloc.

Those posts were created as part of the entry into force last year of the Treaty of Lisbon, which reformed the EU.

Currently a representative of the country holding the rotating presidency of the Council of Ministers of the EU can speak on behalf of the bloc when addressing the General Assembly.