Members of the Convention on the Future of Europe have overwhelmingly backed a proposal to merge the EU's two senior foreign policy posts.
And most expressed support for a "solidarity clause" that would commit EU member-states to help one another in the event of a terrorist attack.
The convention's working group on external action has proposed merging the roles of the External Affairs Commissioner, Mr Chris Patten, and the EU's High Representative, Mr Javier Solana.
The new "European External Representative" would be appointed by the member-states in the Council of Ministers but would be a member of the Commission.
This figure would represent the EU externally, replacing the current "troika" made up of Mr Patten, Mr Solana and the foreign minister of the country that occupies the EU Presidency.
The Government's representative at the Convention, Mr Dick Roche, said the proposal had the potential to bring about greater coherence of EU policy.
He rejected a suggestion that the new figure should chair meetings of EU foreign ministers but gave the working group's report a cautious welcome.
"We all want to see a Union capable of playing a positive world role in support of the common values and shared interests of its member-states.
"This report contains a number of positive proposals and we, along with other partners, will give them detailed reflection," he said.
Mr Roche expressed satisfaction that the working group had adopted an Irish proposal to appoint deputy external representatives who would focus on specific issues.
The report suggests that, if the External Representative and the Commission both backed a proposal, member-states could decide on it by qualified majority voting. Germany's Foreign Minister, Mr Joschka Fischer, went further, saying all foreign policy decisions except defence matters should be taken by majority voting.
"The choice is not between majority voting and unanimity but between majority voting and becoming insignificant," he said.
Britain's government representative, Mr Peter Hain, opposed merging the EU's two foreign policy roles and said introducing majority voting into foreign policy would expose rifts within the EU.
