What is the
Treaty of Lisbon?
After the failure of its forerunner, the European Constitution, which was rejected in 2005 by voters in France and the Netherlands, the Treaty of Lisbon, also called the European reform treaty, was conceived as an alternative series of amendments to two existing EU treaties, the Treaty on the European Brussels Gloomy as Irish Say 'No' to the EU Reform Treaty ...
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The Treaty of Lisbon, which was approved by EU leaders at an EU summit in the Portuguese capital in December 2007, is a blueprint for running the 27-member European Union more efficiently.
What would the Treaty of Lisbon do?
The document is meant to change the EU in the following ways:
This is one of the most controversial proposals as the idea was initially opposed by smaller EU nations but was forced through by the larger member states.
The president would serve a two-and-a half-year term, replacing the current system of a rotating six-month presidency, and will not be allowed to serve more than two terms.
Essentially the EU's foreign minister (as proposed in the constitution), this role combines the posts of current foreign affairs chief Javier Solana and External Affairs Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and will be the EU's point person for world affairs.
The EU Commission would be reduced so that there will be fewer commissioners than member states by 2014, with only two-thirds of countries supplying a commissioner on a rotational basis. Currently each members state has a commissioner.
The treaty intends to introduce majority voting, which will allow votes to be carried on a 55 percent majority as long as that majority also represent 65 percent of the European population. This would be phased in between 2014 and 2017.
Is the reform treaty just the failed European Constitution under a different name?
Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: European leaders agreed on the Lisbon Treaty in December Originally, the reform treaty was described as having "no constitutional characteristics," but investigations by a number of international analysis groups have noted that only two of the 440 provisions in the reform treaty differ from the original constitution. The constitution's references to European flags and anthems, which proved unpopular with voters, have been left out. However, the existing flag, anthem and European motto -- "United in Diversity" -- will remain.
The role of European foreign minister included in the constitution text has also been replaced by the "High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy," and the use of the term "European laws" has been dropped in favor of "European regulations."
Why does it matter that Irish voters rejected the treaty?
To come into power, the treaty needed to be ratified by all the EU's member states.
Ratification was the process that spelled the end of the constitution. Some countries chose to put the constitution to the people in a referendum. It was killed off by two "no" votes, from France and the Netherlands. To avoid this, every country except Ireland left ratification of the treaty to their parliaments, 18 of which have already backed the deal.
The Irish "no" thus leaves the future of the unwieldy 27-member block unclear.
(Deutsche Welle)
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