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."

FEATURE: The new European Council President

Last week another potential candidate as European Council President appeared in the news. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern would join other big names for the post, including former British PM Tony Blair, and current EU Commission President Jose’ Manuel Barroso. But do we know exactly what this post is? And what kind of man – or woman – we need to do this job?

The new Presidency is one of the innovations of the late constitution, and has been kept in the Reform Treaty. A politician would be chosen to become President of the European Council - i.e. the EU governments - and would be in charge for two and a half years (renewable for one more term), instead of the current system, which has a rotating presidency changing every six months.

The benefits are clear: it would ensure more continuity to the actions of the Council, and would give a "face" to the EU. It is however still difficult to understand what role he or she will practically play, and in what it will differ from the other newly created post, which many have refused to name as "EU Foreign Minister" but which will be, in practise, very close to that.

Mr Ahern hasn't declared his intention yet, but has a good card to play. If his government succeeds in winning the referendum to pass the Lisbon Treaty, this will give him enough credibility and legitimacy.

Among other candidates, Tony Blair has been supported by French PM Nicolas Sarcozy, but his chances to succeed have decreased. Many politicians don’t think that the post should be given to a country that hasn't joined the Euro, doesn’t take part in the Schenghen agreement and has secured too many opt-outs on the Treaty. An on-line campaign against the nomination of Blair is being carried out.

The other possible candidates include Jose' Manuel Barroso, the head of the EU Commission, but whose mandate ends only in July 2009; Luxembourg PM Jean-Claude Juncker, who is backed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and is an experienced EU politician; and Danish PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who wants to reopen the debate in Denmark about joining the Euro.

The game, therefore, is still open, and anyone of these, or someone else, has enough chances to succeed.

British MPs reject referendum on Lisbon Treaty

The UK Parliament on March 5 turned down the Tories’ attempt to hold a referendum on the Lisbon treaty, which substituted the EU constitution after French and Dutch voters rejected it in national referenda in 2005.

With a narrow majority of 311 votes against 248, MPs rejected the amendment to the EU treaty Bill and decided that the new treaty will instead be ratified through parliamentary vote.

The debate on the treaty has flamed UK parliamentary works for the last months, and a growing pressure has been mounted on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to hold a referendum after he signed the treaty in Lisbon last December.

David Cameron, the Tory leader, accused Mr Brown of breaking the promise his government made in 2005 that British citizens would be given the chance to have their say on the EU constitution.

But Mr Brown denied that. He said that the new treaty may not be compared to the late constitution and a referendum wasn’t needed any longer, as the UK government had already assured Britain opt-outs in vital areas and national sovereignty would not be put at risk.

Yesterday’s vote, however, showed how divisive the issue still is among British MPs. 29 Labour MPs voted in favour of the amendment, while three Tories said they were against a referendum.

Among Liberal Democrats, despite their leader Nick Clegg ordered to abstain from a vote, several voted in favour of a referendum and three frontbenchers resigned.

The treaty is now expected to be ratified by next summer.

What are the main changes of the Lisbon Treaty

The Lisbon Treaty will change how the EU works. It needs to be ratified by all member states to come into force. Ireland is the only country having a referendum.

Here is a short summary of the main changes:

- it amends existing Treaties to work more effectively in an enlarged EU of 27 states;

- it creates a permanent President of the Council (2,5 years renewable once, instead of the current 6-month rotation) giving greater continuity to the EU policies. Britain's former PM Tony Blair was one of the candidates, although some countries oppose this;

- it creates a High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (merging the existing posts of external relations Commissioner and High Representative for common foreign and security policy). Some argue this is the same post as the European Foreign Minister that had been rejected in the EU Constitution by French and Dutch voters in 2005;

- it reduces the size of the Commission from 27 to 15 (no longer one Commissioner for each country, in a move intended to make the Commission work more effectively). Some coutries are afraid that losing for one term their Commissioner will give them some disadvantages.

- it reduces the number of MEPs to 751;

- it increases areas where MEPs have their saying to approve EU legislation alongside national Ministers in the Council (known as codecision);

- it gives national parliaments a bigger saying in the making of the EU legislation. If one third disagrees with the Commission's proposal, this is sent back for revision (yellow card). If the majority of parliaments is against, it can be rejected (orange card). Some argue that these provisions are not enough to involve national parliaments in the EU legislative process;

- it simplifies rules on enhanced cooperation, giving EU countries the opportunity to work more closely on certain issues, without affecting other EU countries which do no want to do so;

- it incorporates the Charter of Fundamental Rights into EU law, so that EU institutions respect those rights. However the Charter doesn’t extend the powers of EU institutions and the UK has an opt-out on this part;

- the Qualified Majority Voting system will be extended in many new areas (immigration, police cooperation, climate channge, but NOT in foreign policy, tax and defence, where unanimity is needed) ;

- there will be a new system for voting, called Double Majority Voting (55 per cent of member states representing 65 per cent of EU legislation) which will begin in 2014.