Eminence grise or outspoken NGO: the influence of the Janus-faced Council Secretariat

(Hylke Dijkstra, Maastricht University)

This paper analyses how the EU Council Secretariat exercises (political) influence in the first and second pillar. While in the Treaties there is no clear distinction in formal powers between both pillars – the Council Secretariat merely ‘assists’ the Presidency and Council – in practice there could hardly be a sharper contrast. In the first pillar, the Secretariat is renowned for its ‘silence’, that is advising the Presidency behind the scenes, using its continuity, access, institutional knowledge and expertise. In the CFSP, it is however actively and openly participating in the debates, both on the Council premises as well as in the media. Solana very clearly uses his political profile and is often taking a political stance. This paper tries to examine why these formal powers transform via such different ways into informal influence in the Council. It will particularly pay attention to the power resources of the Council Secretariat and the structures and channels through which it exercises influence.