The Treaty of Lisbon - at a glance (John Vincent)

The Treaty of Lisbon - at a glance

November 26, 2009 3:48 PM
Originally published by Liberal Democrat European Group (LDEG)

The Treaty of Lisbon enters into force on Tuesday 1st December. So what exactly will be different? Well, the treaty amends the existing EU treaties to make the changes needed for an EU of 27 to work more effectively. a) It creates a full-time 'President of the European Council' (Van Rompuy) appointed by national governments for a period of two and a half years, replacing the current system where the President of the European Council rotates every six months. b) It creates a 'High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy' (Baroness Cathy Ashton) to replace the current roles of High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (Solana) and the External Relations Commissioner (Benita Ferrero-Waldner). c) It gives national parliaments a voice in making European laws for the first time. Every national parliament will receive proposals for new EU legislation directly. They may judge whether the proposal conforms to the principles of subsidiarity. d) It extends Qualified Majority Voting (QMV) to new policy areas. e) It increases the number of co-decision policy areas where elected MEPs in the European Parliament have to approve EU legislation alongside national ministers in the Council. f) It simplifies the rules on 'enhanced co-operation' where EU countries may work together more closely on certain issues, without affecting countries that do not want to join in. g) It incorporates the Charter of Fundamental Rights into EU law. h) It explicitly recognises for the first time the possibility of a member state withdrawing from the Union. i) It enhances the rights of citizens. j) The Union gains a single legal personality.

For more details see - http://tinyurl.com/yat2yzv

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