BRUSSELS (EJP)---The new head of the European Union’s foreign policy, British Catherine Ashton, will take up her post on 1 December.

tinuation of the political whirlwind which saw her suddenly propelled from her short stint as trade commissioner to taking on what will be one of the union's most high profile jobs.

Ashton, 53, who was until now EU's trade commissioner, was chosen last week by EU leaders for the union's most high profile jobs along with the new EU President, Belgian Christian-Democrat Herman Van Rompuy.

She will take her new functions – the equivalent of EU Foreign Minister - when the Lisbon Treaty, reforming the EU institutions, comes into force.

Shortly after starting work, she will face mmbers of the European Parliament keen to test her knowledge on a range of foreign policy issues running from the Middle East to Russia and Iran.

Ashton will also be vice-president of the European Commission, which gives the European Parliament the right to formally audition her for the post.

She has been praised for her time as trade commissioner but does not have any foreign policy experience, a point made in several analyses and editorials over the weekend.

Ashton, whose meteoric ascent has come as a surprise even to her, will have to hit the ground running. She is set to attend an EU-Ukraine summit on 4 December. The first EU Foreign Ministers' meeting, which she is supposed to chair under the new rules, will take place on 7 December.

Her new job merges the External Relations commissioner post (which was held by Benita Ferrero-waldner) with that of the High Representative for foreign policy, currently held by Javier Solana.

Ashton, a member of the Labour party, was chosen at the informal EU summit last week  after European Socialist leaders confirmed their veto of Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair as EU President but said that Britain could have the second job instead.