Irish voters go to the polls on Thursday for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty which will make key institutional reforms of the European Union (EU) possible. As Ireland is the only EU member state to hold a referendum, the Irish vote is crucial to the fate of the treaty.
The Lisbon Treaty, signed by EU heads of state and government in December 2007 in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, replaced a failed EU constitution. The following are the main points of the Lisbon Treaty:
Initially known as the Reform Treaty, it aims to make EU decision-making more efficient in light of the ever-enlarging nature of the bloc.
The treaty creates the post of a long-term president of the European Council, which comprises heads of state and government ofthe member states, in place of the current six-month rotation between member states. The new president will be elected by the EU leaders to serve a renewable term of two and a half years.
The European Commission, the EU's executive body, will be downsized with the total number of commissioners to be two-thirds of that of the member states. Currently, each of the 27 member states appoints a member to the commission.
A new post of EU foreign policy chief will be created, which combines the duties of present foreign policy high representative Javier Solana and EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.
The new chief, who at the same time is vice president of the European Commission, will chair meetings of the EU foreign ministers and head a combined foreign service with both national and EU diplomats.
To make decision-making more effective, a double majority voting system -- approval by at least 55 percent of the number of member states representing at least 65 percent of the EU's total population -- is introduced to the Council of the EU, a decision-making body composed of ministers of member states.
While unanimity is still required in certain areas, more policy areas will be governed by the double majority voting system, notably in justice and home affairs.
The new voting scheme will be applied from 2014, with a three-year transition period. During the period, any country can invoke the old voting rules.
National parliaments will have more power in law-making at EU level. It will be given eight weeks to examine any EU draft legislation. If a draft legislative act is contested by at least one third of national legislatures as beyond the EU's competence, it will be sent back to the European Commission for re-examination.
The treaty for the first time contains a clause to allow a member state to leave the union. It also creates a legal personality for the EU.
To differentiate itself from the failed constitution, the treaty does not mention the symbols of the EU such as the flag, anthem or motto, which may suggest a super state nature for the EU.
Unlike the constitution, the Lisbon Treaty does not replace existing EU treaties, but rather amends them.
The entry into force of the treaty requires the ratification of all 27 member states of the EU. So far 18 of them have ratified the Lisbon Treaty.
EU leaders had hoped that the treaty can enter into force on Jan. 1, 2009 before elections of the European Parliament. Should the ratification process is not completed as scheduled, the treaty will come into force on the first day of the month following the last ratification.
Source:Xinhua
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