EU: New reform treaty

On 13 December 2007 leaders from 27 countries Members of the European Union signed the Treaty of Lisbon, at the city's historic Jeronimos Monastery.

The treaty replaces the ambitious draft of EU constitution that was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005, resulting in institutional EU crisis. "Europe was blocked, without knowing how to move forward and we found the solution with this treaty", explained the French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Critics say it is a cut-down version of the failed European constitution, but EU leaders insist that the two texts are in no way equivalent. The Treaty amends the EU's two core treaties - the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht) and the Treaty establishing the European Community (Rome), without replacing them.

The EU intends to reach four main goals with the provided amendments in the EU legal framework:

1. More democratic and transparent Europe. The treaty provides more strengthened role for the European Parliament and national parliaments, as well as more opportunities for the EU citizens. The European parliament obtains new powers over the EU legislation, the EU budget and international agreements, equal participation in law making with the Council of the EU. The national parliaments will have greater opportunities to be involved in the work of the EU. The treaty provides “Citizens' Initiative” - one million citizens from a number of Member States will have the possibility to call on the Commission to bring forward new policy proposals. The Treaty of Lisbon explicitly recognises for the first time the possibility for a Member State to withdraw from the Union.
2. More efficient Europe. The Treaty of Lisbon creates the function of President of the European Council elected for two and a half years. The current EU presidency which is rotated among member states will be replaced in 2009 with a long-term president. The new treaty reduces the number of Commissioners – members of the European Commission, only two thirds of member countries will have a Commissioner (e.g. with 27 countries, there would be 18 Commissioners), but the posts will rotate between all countries. The number of Commissioners can also be changed by the European Council. The treaty amends also the decision-making process in the Council of the EU introducing a new “double majority”. The treaty removes the right of veto in more than 50 policy areas thus easing the legislation reforms.
3. Europe of rights and values, freedom, solidarity and security. The treaty includes and introduces the Charter of Fundamental Rights into European primary law, ensuring better protection of European citizens. The ECHR was widely discussed and not accepted in EU members as Poland, Italy and the UK. For more information - the article “The controversial ECHR” in this section.
4. Europe as an actor on the global stage. The Treaty of Lisbon aims to give Europe a clear voice in relations with its partners worldwide in order to promote more efficiently the European interests and values worldwide, while respecting the particular interests of the Member States in Foreign Affairs. The treaty creates a new powerful High Representative for the Union in Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The new foreign policy chief will control a big budget and thousands of diplomats and officials through a new European External Action Service. The treaty provides a single legal personality for the Union which will strengthen the Union's negotiating power, making it more effective on the world stage and a more visible partner for third countries and international organisations.

"The Treaty of Lisbon will reinforce the union's capacity to act and the ability to achieve those goals in an effective way", Jose Manuel Barroso said.

The treaty will not enter into force and apply until and unless it is ratified by each of the EU’s 27 members. Each country is entitled to choose the procedure for ratification, in line with its own national constitution. Only Ireland is planning to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Hungary became the first EU member to ratify the new treaty of Lisbon with positive voting in the Hungarian National Assembly. The target date for ratification set by member governments is 1 January 2009 – some months before the elections to the European Parliament.

Sources: Europa, Independent, BBC, Jurist