Lisbon Treaty, popularly known as the Reform Treaty was signed on December 13, 2007 at a summit held in Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal. 'Treaty of Lisbon amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community', is a formal title given to this treaty. The Treaty of Lisbon, if successfully ratified by the European Union member states, would come into force in 2009. The treaty aims to carry out reforms, which were previously rejected by the European Constitution.
The Treaty of Lisbon signed by major European leaders would mark the end of all controversies and negotiations relating to various institutional issues. If the treaty is implemented successfully after due ratification, the European Union would be armed with all necessary legal tools to meet the future challenges.
Lisbon Treaty - a synopsis
The Treaty of Lisbon lays stress on the following points.
- Establishment of a more dynamic and a transparent Europe. According to the treaty, the European and all other national Parliaments will have a more dynamic role in voicing their opinions. The citizens will be empowered with a stronger voice. They will even have the power to call on the Commission and propose new policies.
- Emergence of a more efficient Europe with clear and easy to understand working methods and voting system. This would enable the 27 member European Union to act on areas of major priority. Lisbon treaty also would improve the quality of life of the citizens in the areas of freedom of speech, security and justice in combating terrorism and controlling criminal activities.
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- The new Europe will be built on the pillars of freedom, solidarity and security based on the Union rights and values. It would also protect the rights of European citizens by incorporating the Charter of Fundamental Rights into the primary law. The treaty recognizes the importance and accentuates the need of political, economic and social freedom of the European citizens.
- Europe - as a major player in a global stage. The implementation of Lisbon Treaty will give powers to Europe in developing new policies and will allow them to decide on foreign relations with their world wide partners.
Lisbon Treaty and the Emergence of a new 21st century Europe
The world is constantly evolving and changing. Security threats, increasing terrorism, environmental damage, major demographic shifts and globalization are the new issues, which have to be tackled by modern nations. The signing of the Treaty of Lisbon will help the members of the European Union to address and resolve these issues collectively and meet the demands and expectations of the European citizens.
The new treaty is a result of the consensus and agreements between European Union members in an intergovernmental conference. Commission and Parliament were also directly involved in these negotiations.
Lisbon treaty cannot be reinforced until and unless it is ratified by all the 27 member countries of the European Union. Each country would follow its own procedures of ratification along the lines of their own national constitution. Target date set for ratification of Lisbon Treaty is January 1, 2009, just before the elections of the European Parliament. If due to any unforeseen circumstances, the date is postponed, the treaty will then be enforced on the first day of the month following the last ratification.
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