MPs discuss their new EU role

Members of national parliaments across the EU met on 7-8 May in Brdo, Slovenia to discuss their new role in the EU legislative process, as they will have a greater saying when the Lisbon Treaty comes into force.

The discussion about the new strategy that national MPs should adopt was held during the Conference of Community and European Affairs Committees of Parliaments of the EU (COSAC), a biennial meeting in which six members from each parliament discuss EU matters.

The Lisbon Treaty gives national parliaments a bigger saying, as the EU Commission is required to notify parliaments of a proposed law, and they have 8 weeks to discuss it.

More important is the introduction of so-called yellow card and orange card. If one third of national parliament oppose a proposal, the Commission has to decide whether to maintain or modify it (yellow card). But if half of the national parliaments are against, the Commission has to withdraw its proposal (orange card).

In particular, parliaments have the opportunity to stop a legislative process at a EU level if they feel that the matter could be better dealt at a national level (the principle of subsidiarity).

COSAC said in a statement it welcomed “the strengthened role of national parliaments as laid down in the Treaty of Lisbon, which enables their better involvement in the EU decision-making process”.

Janez Jansa, the Prime Minister of Slovenia, which holds the rotating Presidency of the EU until June, said: “In terms of enhancing efficiency and promoting democracy the Lisbon Treaty promises further progress. It will give additional decision-making levers to the representatives elected directly by the citizens of Europe.”

“In even more areas, at European level, you will have the right and the obligation to participate in co-decision. (…) The extent to which the role of national parliaments is enhanced by the Lisbon Treaty will depend largely on yourselves.”

Portugal chooses symbolic day to ratify the Treaty

Portugal chose May 9, "Europe Day", to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, which was signed in the Portuguese capital last December. The ceremony symbolically took place on the 58th anniversary of the "Schuman Declaration", which in 1950 posed the basis for a "supranational European institution".

During the ratification ceremony, Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva said: "The treaty constitutes a step forward towards the construction of a more unified Europe, one more in solidarity."

MEP Joseph Daul, Chairman of the main group in the EU Parliament - the European People's Party, or EPP-ED - referring to the Portuguese ratification said in a statement: "The success of this vote, with opposition only from the Communist Party and the Bloco de Esquerda, is the guarantee of unequivocal support from Portugal for the reforms laid down in the Treaty, and demonstrates the participation of this country at the forefront of the new stages of European construction."

The Treaty was approved by the Portuguese Parliament in April with a large majority (208 voted in favour, 21 against), but needed the President's signature to be ratified.

One day before Portugal, on May 8, Latvia and Lithuania also ratified the Treaty, bringing to 13 the number of ratifications already occurred.

Portugal joined the European Union when it still was called European Economic Community (EEC) together with Spain, in 1986. Euro-enthusiasm in the country grew with the election of Jose' Manuel Barroso, a former Portuguese Prime Minister, as President of the EU Commission.

British High Court: EU referendum an "arguable case"

A millionaire businessman and major donor for the Conservative party is challenging British PM Gordon Brown for not giving the UK the possibility to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

Stuart Wheeler, 73, won on May 2 his battle to challenge the government's decision after it had promised a referendum on the EU constitution.

He claimed that there was no material difference between the late constitution and the reformed treaty and therefore the government should keep its promise to hold a referendum.

He said in his website:"The Labour Party, as well as the other two main parties, made an unambiguous promise that they would call one. They should keep that promise. The Treaty is immensely important and so, irrespective of whether people think it should be ratified or not, they should be allowed a vote on it."

In his judgement at the High Court Mr Justice Owen decided that permission to apply for judicial review should be granted because the case is "arguable". The hearing will take place on 9 and 10 June.

Since last December, the Labour government insisted that the Lisbon Treaty is not the same as the Constitutional Treaty. In the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website (FCO), it stated that "EU’s 27 leaders have agreed that the constitutional concept has been abandoned."

It said: "There are substantial differences between the two Treaties, in form and in content. The Constitutional Treaty would have replaced all the existing Treaties and effectively re-founded the EU. The Lisbon Treaty takes the same approach as all previous amending Treaties. It amends the existing Treaties which Parliament has ratified and will not have constitutional characteristics."

Italy's President: ratification is a "priority"

Giorgio Napolitano, the President of the Italian Republic, said on April 29-30 he expected a quick ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by the new Italian government, which will be sworn in next week, after the centre-right coalition won April elections.

Speaking in Graz, Austria, at an informal meeting with EU heads of States, Mr Napolitano said: “I'm sure the new government will have as a priority the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty.”

Newly-elected prime minister Silvio Berlusconi defeated his left-wing rival Walter Veltroni after early elections were called, following the unexpected collapse of his predecessor's leftist government, led by Romano Prodi who was President of the previous EU commission.

Mr Napolitano is known for being strongly Euro-enthusiast: he was an MEP in the 1990's and his speeches about the EU have always been very European-oriented.

Last year, Mr Napolitano said in a conference: "When I was an MEP, I had the opportunity to know how the EU parliament in Strasbourg works, and how important its role is in the developement of a stronger union between citizens, institutions and European peoples. This union protects the common values of dignity, equality, solidarity and justice."