21 February 2008

Plenary Meeting 18-21 February

EP adopted resolution on Lisbon Treaty

Parliament adopted an own initiative report on the Lisbon Treaty. Member States should ratify it by the end of this year, to pave the way for the June 2009 European elections, said the European Parliament in the report. Members nonetheless voice some concerns, notably about exceptions made for some countries.

“This Treaty gives the EU the possibility to function properly and improves democratic structures", European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering said after the vote.

The Lisbon Treaty would give the European and national parliaments a bigger role in the decision-making process, and thus raise the EU's democratic profile, says the report.

In fact, with just a few exceptions, it would place the Council and the European Parliament would on an equal footing as lawmakers, notably in the budgetary procedure and in justice and home affairs. National parliaments would gain the right to object to a proposal if they felt the subsidiarity principle had not been respected.

Moreover, the President of the Commission, proposed by the European Council on the basis of the European election results, would be elected by the European Parliament.

Members also welcome the provisions that seek to improve the Union's ability to act, noting that greater use of qualified majority voting, replacing unanimity, would facilitate agreements in the Council, and that the new European Council President and High Representative for foreign policy High Representative should improve the coherence of EU action.

Members nonetheless voice some concerns about the new Treaty. First, they regretted that the "constitutional approach" had been abandoned, whilst acknowledging that this had been necessary to secure agreement among Member States. They also criticise the special arrangements made for some Member States in the field of police co-operation and criminal law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Rapporteurs: Richard Corbett (PES, UK), Íñigo Méndez de Vigo (EPP-ED, ES)
Report adopted by 525 votes in favour to 115 against with 29 abstentions with amendments

European Parliament resolution on Lisbon Treaty

Debate the Treaty of Lisbon

The larger political groups spoke in favour of the Treaty and the report as a great improvement on the current Treaties while the smaller groups called for more referenda and spoke out against the new powers for the EU and a lack of democratic accountability. The House will vote on the report at midday.

Opening Wednesday's debate on the Treaty of Lisbon, Richard Corbett (PES, UK), the first of the two joint rapporteurs, stressed that the new treaty would improve the current treaty by making the European Union more effective and more democratic.

Firstly, it would be "increase democratic accountability".  EU legislation will in future be subject to prior scrutiny of national parliaments before coming before the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.  "This is a level of scrutiny that exists in no other international structure", said Mr Corbett. The EP's powers would be enhanced in other areas too, enabling it to elect the president of the European Commission and giving it full power over the budget and agriculture.  "This treaty, if nothing else, is a massive increase in democracy in Europe", Mr Corbett argued.

Secondly, the new treaty enshrines the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which will ensure "that EU law does not violate basic standards of human rights". Thirdly, the treaty will make the EU more effective, for example by extending the use of qualified majority voting and rationalising the size of the Commission. 

Concluding, Mr Corbett reiterated his main point, that the new treaty would make the European Union "more democratic, more effective and more friendly to citizens".

The second joint rapporteur, Inigo Mendez de Vigo (EPP-ED, ES) acknowledged that the loss of the Constitutional Treaty had been a disappointment to some, saying "some of us were more ambitious than the Lisbon Treaty" but he saw the new treaty as "a political solution" to achieving ratification by all the Member States. 

Endorsing Mr Corbett's description of the new treaty, Mr Méndez de Vigo, said it had preserved "the essential points" of the Constitution, in that it was "more democratic, more effective and gives added value for citizens".

Turning to the broader purpose of the EU, he argued that the situation in Kosovo showed that "Europe must provide an outlet for the aspirations of other peoples".   And other issues, such as climate change, immigration and nuclear proliferation, could be better tackled thanks to the Lisbon Treaty, which "gives us the instruments to do these things".  We still need the political will but at least with this treaty we will have the tools", he stressed.

European Council

"We agree with the rapporteurs' positive assessment of many elements of the treaty, and that improving effectiveness and democratic accountability is the right response long-standing challenges within Member States and on the international scene", said Slovenia's State Secretary for European Affairs Janez Lenarcic for the Council.

Among the treaty's advantages, Mr Lenarcic listed safeguarding efficient functioning, simplifying decision-taking, enhancing transparency and democracy and bringing the Union closer to citizens. He acknowledged that the treaty's ratification is the sovereign preserve of Member States, but hoped that it would proceed smoothly, so that the treaty can take effect at the start of 2009.

He looked forward to the simplified decision-taking arrangements that the treaty would bring, and to co-operating with the EU's future presidencies. Many elements of the treaty will need to be worked on with Parliament and the Commission, which must assume their respective responsibilities, he concluded.

European Commission

"It's important to do the right things, but also to do things right", said Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström, citing policies in areas such as climate change, energy and agriculture.

She welcomed the treaty as a "positive step towards making the Union more effective, transparent and democratic", noting that it would not only enhance the European Parliament's role in budgetary and other matters, but also step up the involvement of national parliaments in policy making.

The loss of constitutional symbols, and the extension of national "opt-ins", was "the price we had to pay for agreement", said Ms Wallström, who nonetheless warned that although the ratification is under way, there is "no inevitability" about it.

During the ratification period, communication with citizens would be vital, she said, stressing that the Commission will work closely with national authorities and the European Parliament's national offices to inform citizens about the treaty and EU policies in areas that they care about, such as climate change, growth and jobs, and the EU's global role.

At the same time, the Commission is preparing proposals on how to help the EU to "connect with citizens", she said.

Broad Economic Policy Guidelines for 2008

Report: Margarita Starkevičiūtė

Integrated Guidelines for Growth and Jobs (Part: broad guidelines for the economic policies of the Member States and the Community): launching the new cycle (2008-2010).

Report adopted by 519 votes in favour to 102 against with 31 abstentions with amendments

Adopted report

© Graham Bishop