Ferrero-Waldner was also the last Commissioner for External Relations as the post was taken over by the High Representative Catherine Ashton from 1 December 2009.
However Ferrero-Waldner maintained control over the European Neighbourhood Policy and EuropeAid Co-operation Office (which are not part of the new High Representative's mandate).
[2] Since the establishment of the High Representative, there are now only the following Commissioners dealing with international affairs; The external relations policy of the Barroso Commission is based on three key basic propositions on the EU's role in the world.
The EU is a global player; it pursues a specific foreign policy philosophy which one could term "effective multilateralism"; and, thanks to its specific nature, the EU disposes of a wide range of foreign policy instruments which are particularly suited to respond to today's challenges.
In his first Commission, President Barroso established a Group of Commissioners, chaired by him, and in charge of six external relations services.