The European Parliament gave the green light on Thursday to the creation of Europe's first diplomatic corps aimed at giving the bloc a stronger and unified voice in the global arena. The European External Action Service will be headed by EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, who will oversee an army of 6,000 officials, diplomats and experts scattered in Brussels and embassies around the world. European MPs voted 549-78 in favour of the EEAS two weeks after parliament signed a political agreement with other EU institutions following tough negotiations. British baroness Ashton was appointed to her post, which was created in the EU's Lisbon Treaty, in November 2009, a choice which drew criticism due to her lack of experience in the international stage. She now faces the task of filling sought-after posts in a union that includes 27 nations, juggling between the interests of its oldest, powerful members and the smaller, newer ones. During months of negotiations, European lawmakers sought to limit the influence of members states on policies that until now have been exclusively managed by the European Commission, such as development aid. Under the deal, one-third of the posts will be filled by dilpomats from national foreign ministries and they will be able to hold their positions for 10 years. The European MPs were able to secure control in budgetary matters. 