EU leaders sign historic Lisbon Treaty: ready for the 21st century

At the long-awaited signing of the new EU treaty, leaders from each of the 27 member countries put pen to treaty paper in a clear show of their willingness to take a strong Europe into the 21st century. The Lisbon Treaty opens a new chapter for the Union, making it a single legal entity, strengthening its negotiating power and making it more effective on the world stage. The text creates an EU president and a more powerful foreign policy chief. The document also scraps member states' veto powers in many policy areas allowing for a single EU voice. The Treaty will now have to be ratified by the nations of the Union's member states.

Fittingly, the ceremony took place in the ornate Jeronimo monastery in Lisbon, the pre-eminent symbol commemorating European exploration. It is from here that European navigators and sailers set out to 'discover' Africa, India and later the Americas.

In a constantly changing, ever more interconnected world, Europe is grappling with new issues: globalisation, demographic shifts, climate change, the need for sustainable energy sources and new security threats. These are the challenges facing Europe in the 21st century. To realise its full potential and to tackle these challenges, the EU needs to modernise and reform. The new legal framework has been designed to do just that.

The Lisbon Treaty will open a new chapter for Europe, working towards:

• more democracy and openness – if a million Europeans from several countries group together, they can call on the commission to make new policy proposals (‘citizens’ initiative’). And EU intervention will be monitored to ensure it only occurs where it will attain better results than national action alone.
• more efficiency – decision making will be based on a double majority system from 2014 (meaning that a vote can only be carried by 55% of member countries, who must represent at least 65% of the EU’s population). The EU will be able to act more swiftly in matters of law and order, rooting out cross-border criminal activities.
• more rights – the recently signed charter of fundamental rights, which now has the same legal status as the EU treaties themselves, will safeguard our basic human rights.
• more international clout – the EU will have a single legal personality, strengthening its negotiating power and making it more effective on the world stage. And a new post for foreign affairs and security policy will increase the impact and coherence of EU action abroad.

Europe’s leaders have reached agreement. Now the national authorities must decide how the treaty will be ratified – whether it will be voted on by the people or by their representatives. Either way, the hope is that the new treaty will be in force by the next European elections in June 2009:
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The Treaty of Lisbon amends the current EU and EC treaties, without replacing them. It will provide the Union with the legal framework and tools necessary to meet future challenges and to respond to citizens' demands.

A more democratic and transparent Europe
The treaty strengthens the role for the European Parliament and national parliaments, more opportunities for citizens to have their voices heard and a clearer sense of who does what at European and national level.

• A strengthened role for the European Parliament: the European Parliament, directly elected by EU citizens, will see important new powers emerge over the EU legislation, the EU budget and international agreements. In particular, the increase of co-decision procedure in policy-making will ensure the European Parliament is placed on an equal footing with the Council, representing Member States, for the vast bulk of EU legislation.
• A greater involvement of national parliaments: national parliaments will have greater opportunities to be involved in the work of the EU, in particular thanks to a new mechanism to monitor that the Union only acts where results can be better attained at EU level (subsidiarity). Together with the strengthened role for the European Parliament, it will enhance democracy and increase legitimacy in the functioning of the Union.
• A stronger voice for citizens: thanks to the 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.
• Who does what: the relationship between the Member States and the European Union will become clearer with the categorisation of competences.
• Withdrawal from the Union: the Treaty of Lisbon explicitly recognises for the first time the possibility for a Member State to withdraw from the Union.

A more efficient Europe
The treaty simplifies working methods and voting rules, streamlined and modern institutions for a EU of 27 members and an improved ability to act in areas of major priority for today's Union.

• Effective and efficient decision-making: qualified majority voting in the Council will be extended to new policy areas to make decision-making faster and more efficient. From 2014 on, the calculation of qualified majority will be based on the double majority of Member States and people, thus representing the dual legitimacy of the Union.A double majority will be achieved when a decision is taken by 55% of the Member States representing at least 65% of the Union’s population.
• A more stable and streamlined institutional framework: the Treaty of Lisbon creates the function of President of the European Council elected for two and a half years, introduces a direct link between the election of the Commission President and the results of the European elections, provides for new arrangements for the future composition of the European Parliament and for a smaller Commission, and includes clearer rules on enhanced cooperation and financial provisions.
• Improving the life of Europeans: the Treaty of Lisbon improves the EU's ability to act in several policy areas of major priority for today's Union and its citizens. This is the case in particular for the policy areas of freedom, security and justice, such as combating terrorism or tackling crime. It also concerns to some extent other areas including energy policy, public health, civil protection, climate change, services of general interest, research, space, territorial cohesion, commercial policy, humanitarian aid, sport, tourism and administrative cooperation.

A Europe of rights and values, freedom, solidarity and security
Promoting the Union's values, introducing the Charter of Fundamental Rights into European primary law, providing for new solidarity mechanisms and ensuring better protection of European citizens are goals the new Europe wants to achieve.

• Democratic values: the Treaty of Lisbon details and reinforces the values and objectives on which the Union is built. These values aim to serve as a reference point for European citizens and to demonstrate what Europe has to offer its partners worldwide.
• Citizens' rights and Charter of Fundamental Rights: the Treaty of Lisbon preserves existing rights while introducing new ones. In particular, it guarantees the freedoms and principles set out in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and gives its provisions a binding legal force. It concerns civil, political, economic and social rights.
• Freedom of European citizens: the Treaty of Lisbon preserves and reinforces the "four freedoms" and the political, economic and social freedom of European citizens.
• Solidarity between Member States: the Treaty of Lisbon provides that the Union and its Member States act jointly in a spirit of solidarity if a Member State is the subject of a terrorist attack or the victim of a natural or man-made disaster. Solidarity in the area of energy is also emphasised.
• Increased security for all: the Union will get an extended capacity to act on freedom, security and justice, which will bring direct benefits in terms of the Union's ability to fight crime and terrorism. New provisions on civil protection, humanitarian aid and public health also aim at boosting the Union's ability to respond to threats to the security of European citizens.

Europe as an actor on the global stage
This will be achieved by bringing together Europe's external policy tools, both when developing and deciding new policies. The Treaty of Lisbon will give Europe a clear voice in relations with its partners worldwide. It will harness Europe's economic, humanitarian, political and diplomatic strengths to promote European interests and values worldwide, while respecting the particular interests of the Member States in Foreign Affairs.

• A new High Representative for the Union in Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, also Vice-President of the Commission, will increase the impact, the coherence and the visibility of the EU's external action.
• A new European External Action Service will provide back up and support to the High Representative.
• A single legal personality for the Union 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.
• Progress in European Security and Defence Policy will preserve special decision-making arrangements but also pave the way towards reinforced cooperation amongst a smaller group of Member States.

References:
European Council: The Treaty of Lisbon.

European Commission: Lisbon treaty takes Europe into 21st century - December 13, 2007.

Europa: Commission welcomes signature of the Treaty of Lisbon and calls for its swift ratification - December 13, 2007.

Europa: The Treaty at a glance.

Europa: multiligual website for the Treaty of Lisbon.