Representatives of the 27 countries of the European Union chose respected but low-profile leaders Thursday as president of the European Council and chief foreign minister.

Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy will become president, while the foreign affairs and security head will be Catherine Ashton, a British baroness who is currently EU trade commissioner. They begin their new duties Jan. 1. It is fair to say that neither Mr. Van Rompuy nor Ms. Ashton has a worldwide reputation or can be considered to be a heavy-hitter in the home country's political hierarchy.

So, what does this mean? From the United States' point of view, it means Washington has two new important interlocutors to deal with on the many issues involving the EU. A key question is, given the relative inexperience and lack of prestige of the two, to what degree will Washington consider them authoritative spokespersons and decision-makers for the EU's members?

The answer is "more and more," as the two begin to master the issues, learn their way around the EU and come to know the key people in the U.S. and other important governments around the world. The EU was restructured by the Lisbon Treaty, raising the efficiency of the organization, particularly in decision-making, to make it possible for leaders such as Mr. Van Rompuy and Ms. Ashton to serve as the 27 countries' point of contact with the United States and other partners.

That doesn't mean that U.S. bilateral exchanges with individual EU nations will come to an end. But it is the case that more economic and global issues are coming into the realm of the EU.

Another question is why the EU chose two relative unknowns -- as opposed to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, for instance, who was bruited about as EU president. One reason might be that the big dogs in the group, notably France and Germany, did not want a powerhouse EU president or foreign affairs chief who might put their own leaders in the shadows. The idea that the others didn't want a British person as president, given the United Kingdom's sometimes tepid enthusiasm for the EU, was finessed by the choice of Ms. Ashton.

To give the EU credit, the most likely reason for the choice of two competent but less politically lustrous figures is that the members want the leaders to carry out the wishes of the organization and not pursue any kind of independent path that might be linked to political ambitions at home.

In any case, the administration of President Barack Obama now needs to move fast to solidify relations and communications with the two, given the importance of issues between Europe and the United States.

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