THE LISBON Treaty has been a long time in the making. Its fate now rests with the Irish electorate on October 2nd.
When I joined the European Commission in 1999, 10 years ago, there were only 15 members states of the European Union. Two enlargements have taken place since then, adding 12 new member states. Reform of the governance of the EU was clearly necessary.
A proposed constitutional treaty proved unacceptable and following resumed negotiations a modified treaty emerged. The Lisbon Treaty differs from the constitutional treaty in that it is a series of amendments to the existing EU treaties rather than a constitution for Europe. Essentially, Lisbon is designed to make the EU more effective, democratic and influential on the international stage.
One of the key issues on October 2nd is the extent to which this year’s package differs from the one rejected last year. This hinges on an assessment of the guarantees and assurances secured by the Government in June. There are those who dismiss them as irrelevant, but I see them as making a significant difference because they alter the terms and conditions of the Lisbon Treaty as applied to Ireland.
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