According to the Treaty of Lisbon and the functions established for the European External Action Service (EEAS), what is its main function in relation to the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)? option_A: To have the exclusive authority to negotiate and sign international treaties on behalf of the European Union member states. option_B: To provide coherence and coordination to the Union's international action and to work under the political guidance of the High Representative. option_C: To replace the Commission's delegations in third countries to be the sole diplomatic representative of the EU in the world. option_D: To manage the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) independently without the need for coordination with the European Council. Explanation: 1) The correct answer is **B** because the official text of the EEAS explicitly states that its function is to 'provide coherence and coordination to the Union's international action' and that it operates 'under the political guidance of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission'. The Treaty of Lisbon created this service precisely to give unity and effectiveness to European diplomacy. 2) Analysis of the distractors: - Option **B** is incorrect because it uses a 'generalization of authority'. While the EEAS supports the High Representative, the authority to conclude international agreements mainly rests with the Commission (for trade or association agreements) or the Union as a whole, it is not an 'exclusive authority' of the EEAS for all cases, nor does it replace the will of the member states in matters of defense. - Option **C** is incorrect for 'false independence'. The EEAS does not manage the CSDP independently; its work is intrinsically linked to the European Council and the Council of the Union, which are the ones that take strategic decisions. The idea of managing without coordination contradicts the intergovernmental nature of security. - Option **D** is incorrect because it is a 'false dichotomy'. The EEAS and the Commission's delegations coexist and collaborate in third countries (EU Delegations). The EEAS does not replace the Commission's delegations, but it leads the EU delegation as a whole, ensuring that both representations work in harmony.