Several EU foreign ministers have voiced support for foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, who faces criticism and institutional infighting as she creates the bloc's new diplomatic service.

Ashton, who took office in December, has been accused by some EU states and within EU institutions of failing to provide strong leadership, and over some senior diplomatic appointments.

Some EU foreign ministers arriving in Spain to discuss her new External Action Service (EAS) diplomatic corps said it was vital the 27 EU states get behind her.

"There are some member states, especially on the civil servant level who are trying to pull the rug from underneath Cathy Ashton and I think that's wrong and they should look at themselves in the mirror," said Finland's Alexander Stubb.

The diplomatic service's aim -- to give the bloc a stronger global voice -- was at risk if Ashton lost support, he said.

"We can either establish a true European foreign policy, a true diplomatic service, and give our 100-percent support to Cathy Ashton, or we can just fall into European foreign policy oblivion."

Italy's Franco Frattini also called for unity behind Ashton. "Cathy Ashton deserves support from all the ministers of foreign affairs," he said.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose country has been most vocal in its criticism of Ashton's first decisions as EU foreign policy chief, said little, despite talks with Ashton in Paris earlier in the day. "There is a lot of work to do. We will discuss it now," he said.

APRIL DEADLINE

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who wrote to Ashton last month expressing concern over how a mid-ranking Portuguese diplomat Joao Vale de Almeida was named EU Washington envoy, wrote to her again on Wednesday offering advice on the EAS.

In a letter co-authored with Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband, Bildt urged Ashton to use the meeting in Spain to check the direction the EAS is going in and ensure the service meets its aim of boosting the EU's global role.

CYPRUS, SLOVENIA SEEK "MEANINGFUL" REPRESENTATION

In another letter circulated on Friday, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania and Cyprus demanded "meaningful" representation for all EU members in the service, underscoring concerns among smaller states about access to high-profile jobs.

The EAS is expected to employ more than 3,000 diplomats and have missions in almost all countries. It was expected to be finalised by the end of April but diplomatic sources say that deadline will not be met and many issues are unresolved.

Among them are decisions about the corps' scope and structure, about funding and the sensitivity of who to appoint to the top embassies, including the missions in Beijing, New Delhi, Moscow, Brasilia and other big trading partners.

As well as trying to have the biggest say in the new service, states are battling with EU institutions -- especially he European Commission -- to shape the service as they see fit.

An extended battle over the EAS would be another setback for the EU, which hoped to smooth decision-making with the Lisbon treaty.

Reuters, Balkans.com Business News