The Lisbon Treaty
The Lisbon Treaty (European Union Reform Treaty)
Political agreement on the Reform Treaty was reached between European Union Heads of State and Government on 19 October 2007. The Treaty was signed on 13 December 2007 in Lisbon and has been forwarded to national parliaments for ratification so that it may enter into force on 1 January 2009. The Lisbon Treaty contains amendments to the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and the Treaty Establishing the European Community (TEC). If the Lisbon Treaty is ratified, the TEU will retain its name and the TEC will become known as the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
For more information on the Lisbon Treaty please see the following links:
On 27 September, the Northern Ireland Executive adopted a common position on the Reform Treaty stating the need to protect against the dilution of:
- The principles and provisions relating to subsidiarity and proportionality, and the role of national and regional parliaments;
- The recognition of regional and local self-government within Member States; and
- The recognition of cultural and linguistic diversity.
The Northern Ireland Assembly voted to lobby the UK Government on a referendum on the EU Reform Treaty on 8 October 2007. To access the debate text click here.
As of September 2008, 24 Member States, including the United Kingdom, have ratified the Treaty. However, Irish voters rejected the Treaty by referendum on 12 June 2008, meaning it cannot currently be ratified. Ireland was the only Member State that held a referendum, in addition to a parliamentary vote.
