The EU Lisbon Treaty

Why does the Lisbon Treaty matter?

The Lisbon Treaty matters - because how well the European Union performs as an organisation affects the daily lives of everyone in the United Kingdom.

When the EU works well, it can help us achieve the things we all want - more jobs, more opportunities, a safer and more open society, and greater influence for the UK on the big issues of the day.

The EU now represents 27 countries and over 490 million people. Reform of the EU's institutions and working practices is needed to ensure that it can continue to function effectively.

Getting agreement on these changes will mean that the EU can work harder on the things that matter to citizens across Europe.

What the Lisbon Treaty will do:

• A bigger role for national parliaments
• Greater transparency of what the EU can or cannot do
• A greater focus on global challenges
• More streamlined EU institutions
• A full-time President of the European Council
• A High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
• More majority voting

What the Lisbon Treaty will do

What the Lisbon Treaty won't do:

• It will not create a European super-state.
• The UK won't lose it's UN seat.
• It won't take away control over our foreign policy.
• The UK won't lose control of its borders.

Lisbon Treaty Myths

Comment on the Lisbon Treaty

Debate on Justice and Home Affairs in the Lisbon Treaty
Foreign and Commonwealth Office 29/01/08

A modest and pragmatic response to enlargement
Financial Times 28/01/08

Our future is in Europe
Telegraph letters 24/01/08

Unity and sovereignty
Guardian 22/01/08

Trouble ahead, but this is no Maastricht
Times Online 22/01/08

Ministers back Lisbon Treaty
BBC TV Politics Show and BBC Radio 4 World This Weekend 21/01/08

Treaty boost for expanding EU
Guardian 21/01/08

Nation-state politics can only fail the problems of the modern world
Guardian 15/01/08

Why is the Lisbon Treaty in the news now?

The mandate for the EU Lisbon Treaty was agreed by the prime ministers or presidents of all EU countries in the European Council in June.

The final text of the Treaty will have to be approved by all EU countries, following their own constitutional procedures, before it can come into effect.

In the UK, all Treaties, including EU Treaties, are submitted to Parliament, which has the right to examine and debate them in detail.

There is currently a lot of speculation in the media about what the Lisbon Treaty will mean for the UK. Some people believe that the UK should not agree to the Lisbon Treaty until it has been put to a public vote in this country (a referendum).

Many people who are opposed to the Lisbon Treaty are also opposed in principle to the UK's membership of the EU; others want a referendum because they believe that the Lisbon Treaty would transfer too much power from the UK to the EU.

These are serious issues that demand public attention. However, the fact is that many things that have been said and written about the Lisbon Treaty are simply not factually accurate.

Lisbon Treaty myths

What happens next?

The Treaty will not come into effect until the Governments of all EU countries have agreed the final text of the Treaty, and then ratified the Treaty in accordance with their constitutional requirements.

In the UK, an act of Parliament will be required to give legal effect to the Treaty. So Parliament must be satisfied that a Treaty is in the national interest before that Treaty can be become law. Exactly the same procedure will be followed for the Lisbon Treaty as for previous EU treaties, all of which were approved by Parliament in the UK.