Ratifying the Treaty of Lisbon

The framework of the new 'Reform Treaty' was agreed upon by EU leaders at a summit in June 2007, and a subsequent intergovernmental conference (IGC) reached agreement upon its precise text last October (EURACTIV 19/10/08). 

The 'Treaty of Lisbon' was officially signed by EU heads of state and government at a summit in the Portuguese capital on 13 December 2007 (EURACTIV 14/12/07). 

The treaty aims to streamline EU decision-making by introducing voting reforms in the Council, reducing the size of the Commission and strengthening the role of national parliaments. It also creates the new posts of Council President and High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy.

The Treaty of Lisbon must be ratified by all 27 member states in order to come into force. 

The treaty was originally scheduled to come into force on 1 January 2009, ahead of European Parliament elections in June that year. 

However, the Irish 'no' vote has thrown a spanner in the works. Whatever solutions are provided for the current impasse, it is certain that ratification will not now happen on 1 January.

Ratification of the Lisbon Treaty:

Source: 
European Policy Centre

 Ratification procedures vary from member state to member state. Most countries will ratify the treaty by parliamentary vote, with a number having already done so.

The failed referenda on the Constitutional Treaty in France and the Netherlands in 2005, which led to a major impasse in the reform process and the subsequent abandonment of that treaty, mean that this time around, EU governments are anxious to see the Treaty of Lisbon ratified via their national parliaments. 

Due to constitutional obligations, Ireland held a popular referendum on the text on June 12 2008. The treaty was rejected by 53.4% of Irish voters, with just 46.6% voting in its favour. Turnout was not as low as initially predicted, with 53.1% of the electorate participating in the vote. It is the only country to hold a referendum on the text as yet. 

Although most parliamentary chambers require a simple majority in order for the treaty to be adopted, in others, approval must be by absolute majority. Elsewhere, two-thirds or three-fifths of members must give the text the green light. 

Meanwhile, the full plenary of the European Parliament approved the treaty by large majority during its Strasbourg session on 20 February 2008. It was similarly approved by a large majority of MEPs in Parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee on 23 January 2008. 

• United Kingdom 

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, rejecting calls for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, said it was "fundamentally different" from the constitutional treaty: "Because we have a very different document with our protocol, with our opt-ins, with our emergency breaks, with all these protections of the British national interest, there is no fundamental change and that is why I believe the proper way of discussing this […] is parliamentary debate." 

Disagreeing with the prime minister completely, a report published on 20 January 2008 by the Labour-dominated Foreign Affairs Committee in the UK House of Commons concluded: "There is no material difference between the provisions on foreign affairs in the Constitutional Treaty, which the government made subject to approval in a referendum, and those in the Lisbon Treaty, on which a referendum is being denied." 

UK Green MEP Caroline Lucas called for a referendum on the treaty in the UK, commenting: "Gordon Brown wants to deny us a say on whether to adopt it or not and that's fundamentally undemocratic, whatever you think about the rights or wrongs of the treaty." She added: "It's clear that the proposed EU reform treaty is substantially the same document as the EU constitution, on which Tony Blair promised the British people a referendum." 

The UK-based 'I Want a Referendum' campaign has commissioned the Electoral Reform Services to run a series of 'referenda' on the Lisbon Treaty across Britain, and is organising a mass lobby of Parliament calling for a nationwide referendum on 27 February. 

Neil O'Brien, the director of UK-based, euro-sceptic think-tank 
Open Europe
, said "governments must keep their promise to hold referendums". Declaring that the Treaty of Lisbon "will fool no-one," he said that after considering the details, it "is just the old EU Constitution in everything but name". 

• France 

In France, President Nicolas Sarkozy vowed to put France "back in Europe" after the 2005 referendum debacle by being among the first countries to ratify the treaty. 

But the French Socialist Party boycotted a vote in Parliament that allowed ratification to go ahead "to show its displeasure at the procedure chosen" to approve the treaty, according to Bruno Le Roux, the party's national election secretary (EURACTIV 05/02/08). 

France's European Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Jouyet stressed the importance of proceeding with the ratification process in other countries after the irish 'no' vote. "Then we shall see with the Irish what type of legal arrangement could be found," he said, pointing to the fact that he believes the Treaty is not dead. 

• Ireland 

Ireland's EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy stressed that the Irish vote should not be interpreted as a sign of Irish ingratitude but as a vote against "a myriad of other issues," including rising food and oil prices, an economic downturn and the threat of rising unemployment. "There will be those who won't understand and think we have forgotten all the benefits Ireland has obtained from its membership of the EU. But that would be a wrong interpretation. I have no doubt that the vast majority of Irish people want to be fully engaged participants in the European Union," he said. 

He downplayed the Irish 'no', saying the EU would "not grind to a halt" as a result and pointing out that his country was "not alone in being unable to secure a popular endorsement of a European Treaty". "As politicians this is something we need to learn from," he concluded. 

European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering stated that the results of the Irish referendum confront the EU "with one of the most difficult challenges in its history". He called on the EU summit on 19-20 June to "take the appropriate steps to make the reform Treaty a reality". "The ratification process must continue without reservation. We call upon the Irish Government to submit proposals as to how we can jointly progress beyond this difficult phase in European politics," the Parliament President said in a written statement, adding that the goal is to see the Treaty enter into force before the June 2009 European elections.

• Czech Republic

After the Czech Republic's highest court ruled that the Lisbon Treaty was consistent with the country's constitution (EURACTIV 26/11/08), Czech Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Alexandr Vondra said he welcomed "the decision of the Czech Constitutional Court as it will enable us to proceed with the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty in the Parliament.  I perceive as positive that the procedure has taken place and the Constitutional Court in its capacity answered all questions of the Senate and of the president concerning the compatibility of the Treaty with the Czech Constitutional order. The ruling of the court should dispel possible doubts in this regard which have so far characterised the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty in the Czech Republic".

Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel Schwarzenberg agreed with the deputy prime minister's view of the ruling, saying: "It is good news not only for us, but also for Europe. The Lisbon Treaty is not against the Czech Constitution and for this certitude we have to be glad".

• 13 Dec. 2007: EU heads of state and government signed the Treaty of Lisbon.  
• 20 Feb. 2008: Parliament approved treaty with 525-115 majority.
• 12 June 2008: Treaty of Lisbon rejected by popular vote in Ireland. 
• 19-20 June 2008: European Council discussed the aftermath of the Irish referendum. The Irish Government's request for time to analyse the situation was accepted.
• Oct. 2008: Ireland expected to make proposals at Council summit. 

EU official documents

• Council:Treaty of Lisbon(17 December 2007) [FR] [FR] [DE]

European Union

• EUROPA:The Treaty of Lisbon in your country (ratification guide) [FR] [FR] [DE]

Governments

• UK House of Commons:Foreign Affairs Committee report on foreign policy aspects of the Lisbon Treaty(20 January 2008)
• Elysée Palace:Sarkozy speech on Treaty ratification(10 February 2008)
• French Government:Communiqué: Adoption du projet de loi autorisant la ratification du traité de Lisbonne(8 February 2008)
• Assemblée Nationale (France):Projet de loi constitutionnel sur la ratification du traité de Lisbonne (French only)(5 February 2008)
• Conseil constitutionnel (France):20 December decision concerning the conformity of the Treaty of Lisbon to the Constitution (French only)(20 December 2007)

Press Dossiers

• The Economist:What Lisbon contains
• BBC:Q&A: The Lisbon Treaty
• BBC:Viewpoints: The Lisbon Treaty
• BBC:A close look at the Reform Treaty

Non-assigned links

• I Want A Referendum:UK pro-referendum website
• Referendum Commission (Republic of Ireland):Homepage
• Peace and Neutrality Alliance:20 reasons to say 'no' to the Lisbon Treaty(20 January 2008)
• Sinn Féin:International Department homepage