The mandate for the External Action Service is laid down under article 13a-III of the Treaty of Lisbon ( TEU Article 27 ) , and states the following : Shortly before the treaty came into force , Catherine Ashton was named HR and tasked with drawing up the structure of the new EEAS . Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake Ashton chaired a meeting of the foreign policy actors across the Commission , Council and member states to give a coordinated response to the disaster . Although she refused to describe it as the first act of the external action service , Ashton did stress that it was the first time that such a co-ordination between all the various EU foreign policy actors had been accomplished before
2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
European External Action Service