EU-DIGEST

The European Parliament has blocked the continuation of a nine-year, once-secret (illegal) agreement that allows US authorities to monitor the financial transactions of EU citizens. The Parliament voted yesterday by an overwhelming majority to reject the deal, with 378 MEPs voting against the deal and only 196 voting in favour.

Labels: EU, EU Parliament, Fundamental Rights, Lisbon Treaty, Privacy Laws, Terrorism, US

"Three headaches obsess Brussels at this moment ( say Eurosceptics) . First comes the spectre of a euro-area crisis. Senior figures say it is a question of “when not if” external aid is sent to prevent cash-strapped Greece from defaulting on its debts. Second : Under the Lisbon treaty summits are meant to take place in Brussels, hosted by the new permanent president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy. But Spain, which holds the rotating EU presidency until June 30th, insisted on inviting Mr Obama to Madrid. He has now made clear he is not coming. A third headache is the “EU 2020 reform agenda”, a ten-year plan to make Europe dynamic by administrative fiat. The 2020 agenda is to be discussed at an informal summit called by Mr Van Rompuy on February 11th. EU leaders hope to build on the rubble of the 2000 Lisbon agenda, whose stated aim was to make the EU “the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010 capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion and respect for the environment.” It failed.

Labels: Afghanistan, EU, Euro Sceptics, Lisbon Treaty, US

Contrary to earlier expectations there now seems to be political confusion in Europe following the acceptance of the Lisbon Treaty. Europe seems to be having difficulty to get the treaty off to a quick start.

Unfortunately, at least from a protocol point of view, there seems to be initial confusion as to the interpretation of the Lisbon Treaty. Case in point, the upcoming US-EU summit. Even though Spain is hosting the EU-U.S. summit, it will be chaired by the new EU president, Herman Van Rompuy. But when asked earlier if President Obama was attending the summit, Van Rompuy’s office had no clue if he was attending, saying only that it had read press reports that he wasn’t coming. Officials referred calls to the Spanish rotating presidency in Brussels, which is in charge of planning summits and other meetings for the next six months. The perception now exists that no one seems to be sure who is calling the shots in Europe. Is it the EU rotating Presidency's office, the EU President Van Rompuy, Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, or Mrs. Catherin Ashton, the office of high representative for foreign affairs?

Foreign heads of state and their cabinets are expected to have made themselves familiar with the new EU structure under the Lisbon Treaty, but given the confusion which reigns, they don't seem to have done so. Therefore, even though everything is spelled out in the Lisbon Treaty, it would benefit the EU to produce a clear public outline on how the top EU hierarchy functions, based on the level of authority and responsibilities under the Lisbon Treaty. It is maybe good to remember the wise saying, "that if hierarchy is inaccessible on the human level, then chaos will prevail rather than natural order."

EU-Digest: Interpretation of the Lisbon Treaty: confusion reigns - clarity essential

Labels: EU, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from the Associated Press click on this link

Top European Union officials attended a ceremony Tuesday to mark the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty, which is designed to ensure the bloc has a more influential say in world affairs. The treaty took effect after years of wrangling within the 27-nation union over its provisions. The glitzy ceremony took place at a specially built temporary venue next to the River Tagus, near where the treaty was signed two years ago. A logo of the treaty was projected onto a nearby 16th-century monument, and a fireworks display ended the hour-long ceremony for several hundred invited guests, including the prime ministers of Sweden and Spain.

The treaty features new rules to accelerate decision-making so that the EU can respond more swiftly to global issues such as defense, energy security, climate change and migration.

Labels: Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from the BBC click on this link

The dinner hour approaches when the EU must decide who will be its face on the world stage. It's a big credibility moment but with the clock ticking away there is, at the moment, only confusion, rumor and disagreement. In the meantime the British are still fighting for Tony Blair. Gordon Brown is likely to argue that the most important part of the Lisbon Treaty was the plan to give Europe a much stronger position on the world stage. Europe, in his view, needs a politician with an international name and, without doubt, Tony Blair is the best known. Poland seeks EU jobs transparency. Poland says rivals for the new top jobs of EU president and foreign affairs chief should "present their visions" to EU leaders.

Labels: EU, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from the FT.com click on this link

The European Union's first full-time president will be chosen on November 19 and is almost certain to be a sitting or former head of government, Fredrik Reinfeldt, Sweden's prime minister, said yesterday. In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Reinfeldt, who is leading the appointment process, said he had picked next Thursday as the date when the EU's 27 heads of state and government should finalise their choice at a dinner in Brussels. The presidency is one of two big jobs that the EU is creating to project its influence around the world and improve its policy making procedures. The other is a foreign policy supremo with enhanced powers.

Mr Reinfeldt said he had held discussions with 25 of the EU's other 26 leaders yesterday and on Monday, and planned to speak with the 27th today. "I'm very close to the end of my first consultations. After that, I'll do a second round, probably starting on Thursday this week, where I'll start working on compromises," he added.

Labels: EU, EU Presidency, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from The Guardian click on this link

David Cameron today backed away from a full-scale confrontation with the EU when he outlined a six-point package of reforms but adopted a conciliatory tone by saying he wanted to avoid a "bust-up" with Britain's European partners. In his most significant statement on the EU since becoming Conservative leader, triggered this week by the final ratification of the Lisbon treaty, Cameron finally abandoned his pledge to hold a referendum on the measure in Britain. Flanked by the most senior members of the shadow cabinet, Cameron said he would instead demand six changes to ensure that powers are "never again" ceded by Britain to the EU without the agreement of the British people.

Note EU-Digest: Mr.Cameron had come under considerable attack for his earlier negative statements on the EU not only from members of his own party,but also from EU officials and even members of the US political establishment when he recently visited the US.

Labels: Britain, Conservative Party, David Cameron, EU, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from Bloomberg.com click on this link

The European Union’s first presidential campaign heated up, with Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy emerging as a possible compromise candidate after former U.K. leader Tony Blair’s chances faded. Momentum built for a decision as soon as next week after the last hurdle to the creation of the post fell yesterday with Czech President Vaclav Klaus’s endorsement of the 27-nation bloc’s governing treaty. Van Rompuy, 62, joined Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, 53, and Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, 54, as potential choices for EU leaders as they prepare to pick their first president. Debate has centered on the choice between a globally recognized name or a practitioner of behind- the-scenes coalition-building. A trained economist, Van Rompuy worked at the Belgian central bank from 1972 to 1975 before going into politics, where he had stints in government in the 1980s and 1990s. As budget minister, he helped drive down Belgium’s debt from a peak of 135 percent of gross domestic product in 1993. It fell to below 100 percent of GDP in 2003.

Paddy Power Plc, Ireland’s biggest bookmaker, made Balkenende the 9-4 favorite, ahead of Blair at 11-4, Van Rompuy at 3-1 and Juncker at 4-1.

Labels: EU, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from The Gov Monitor click on this link

Lisbon Treaty Offers Europe Hard Lessons And New Opportunities - : by Chris Ostrowski

The two biggest lessons to be taken from this is not to produce a constitution which is so far reaching, inward looking and esoteric that the people give it a big raspberry (as happened in the European constitution); and not to promise a referendum on an issue that need to be discussed as part of the mainstream of political debate. How right was Chris Patten when he heard of the Prime Minister’s promise to hold a referendum: “They [referendums] undermine Westminster……if you have a referendum on an issue politicians, during an election campaign say oh we’re not going to talk about that, we don’t need to talk about that, that’s all for the referendum. So during the last election campaign [2001], the Euro was hardly debated. I think referendums are fundamentally anti-democratic…”

The challenge has always been how to illustrate that EU is responsible for some popular successes and more crucially how to show voters that if we had a Eurosceptic government then the consequences would be damaging to the British interest. Two factors could help the government here. Firstly, and the difficulties involved in this can not be underestimated, it would be of great benefit if Government Ministers were to take the time and initiative to praise the EU and other member states individually when there is a success. It has always been the way that ministers blame ‘Brussels’ when something goes wrong and take the praise for the government when something is a success. But because we are faced with a Eurosceptic party which might form a government for the first time the risk of ‘losing’ a success to Brussels is actually diminished if the case is properly made.

Labels: EU, Lisbon Treaty

EU-Digest

Czech president Vaclav Klaus backs EU Lisbon Treaty

Czech President Vaclav Klaus is satisfied with a declaration by European Union leaders intended to pave the way to ratification of the bloc's Lisbon treaty, Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer said on Thursday. Efforts to get the new treaty past the final roadblock coincided with stepped-up lobbying for the post of president, with several new candidates coming forward to challenge former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair. Leading politicians of the European left appeared to have dealt a fatal blow to Tony Blair’s chances of becoming the first permanent president of the European Union, after Spanish Premier José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said the Socialist bloc wants the new position of EU Foreign Minister. The next step on the eight-year path toward the overhaul of the EU’s decision-making machinery is a ruling due next week by the Czech supreme court, which has already backed the treaty once.

Labels: Czech Republic, EU, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Lisbon Treaty, Tony Blair, Vaclav Klaus

For the complete report from The Prague Post click on this link

Czech Republic - Klaus, under pressure, likely to sign Lisbon Treaty

While the public debate about the Lisbon Treaty saw protesters and counter protesters gather outside Prague Castle Oct. 19, the government of Prime Minister Jan Fischer and President Václav Klaus were crafting language designed to abate Klaus' concerns over a human rights protocol in the treaty, likely leading to Lisbon's ratification by the year's end. "The solution is now on the table," said Petr Drulák, director of the Prague Institute for International Relations. For his part, Klaus has stepped back from earlier demands that a concrete exemption from the Lisbon's Charter on Fundamental Rights - meant to prevent the Czech Republic having to pay restitution to ethnic Germans expelled after World War II - be added directly to the treaty. Instead, an addendum will be added to Croatia's accession treaty clarifying the application of the charter to guarantee that Sudeten Germans expelled by the Beneš Decrees would not be able to seek compensation in EU courts. This is similar to the way the EU made compromises with Ireland before its public referendum Oct. 2 and prevents Lisbon from having to be re-approved by all EU member states.

Labels: Czech Republic, Lisbon Treaty

Gulf Times – Qatar’s top-selling English daily newspaper - Europe/World

"Unofficial race is on for EU’s top posts

AFP/Brussels, Belgium


Ireland’s Yes vote for the EU reform treaty has intensified the unofficial race for the European Union’s new top jobs, including a figurehead president.

The Czech Republic and Poland still have to ratify the Lisbon Treaty before European leaders can name anyone president of the EU council and a new foreign affairs supremo.

Top EU figures would like the posts decided at the next EU summit this month and lobbying is already underway. Former British prime minister Tony Blair is the early favourite to become the first EU president.

The centre-left politician has support from London and Paris. He suffers from his close ties to former US president George W Bush in launching the Iraq war in 2003."

Labels: EU, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from The Independent click on this link

Ireland's Yes camp buoyant ahead of Europe vote ( A No vote would return for Ireland to economic Isolation) - by David McKittrick

Irish referendum campaigns are traditionally unpredictable but it would take a significant late swing for the treaty to be rejected. With all the main political parties campaigning in favour of the treaty, one of the government's principal themes has been that another No vote would dramatically reduce Ireland's influence in Europe. "It would be seen as a retreat into economic isolationism and a spiritual withdrawal from Europe," the Finance Minister, Brian Lenihan, said. The European Central Bank had provided a lifeline, he said, without which the country's financial system would have collapsed.

Labels: Ireland, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from Reuters click on this link

Irish support for Lisbon Treaty up

Irish support for the European Union's Lisbon reform treaty rose two points to 48 percent on Friday but the latest opinion poll also showed the opposition gaining some ground, as the number of "don't knows" shrank. The "no" camp was up four points to 33 percent, a week before votes are cast. The Irish Times/TNS mrbi poll saw the undecided category drop by six points to 19 per cent. At a similar stage before last year's referendum 35 percent of voters polled remained undecided, the same number as the eventually victorious "no" camp and five more than the "yes" side.Ireland will vote again on the charter in another referendum on October 2.

Labels: EU, Lisbon Treaty

Berlin Parliament - photo Adaja Morren

For the complete report from the EUobserver click on this link

Germany nears final ratification of Lisbon Treaty - by Honor Mahony

Germany's president Horst Koehler on Wednesday (23 September) signed newly-drafted national laws enabling the country to adopt the EU's Lisbon Treaty, making final ratification of the document at the end of the week a formality. The laws will be published in Germany's official law register on Thursday and Mr Koehler is expected to sign the ratification document on Friday.Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the step as a great success, reports Spiegel Online. "I put a great deal of effort into this Lisbon Treaty and it is a good end to the German presidency of the EU that we held some time ago'" she said referring to the efforts Berlin made to revive the institutional negotiations in the EU after a planned EU constitution was rejected by France and the Netherlands in 2005.

Labels: EU, Germany, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from the AFP click on this link

Tories warn they could still torpedo EU treaty

The Conservative Party warned Wednesday they would hold a referendum on the EU's Lisbon Treaty if they take office next year and the eurosceptic Czech president has not yet ratified it. Conservative leader David Cameron, widely tipped to oust Prime Minister Gordon Brown in ballots due by next July, has written to Vaclav Klaus to clarify his position, which in theory could torpedo the troubled treaty. The fate of the European Union treaty, aimed at streamlining decision-making in the expanded 27-nation bloc, is in the balance ahead of an Irish referendum on October 2, which EU leaders hope will overturn a 'no' vote last year.<

Note EU-Digest: Minority viewpoints on the Lisbon Treaty Agreement like those of the British Conservative party or Mr. Vaclav Klaus must obviously be listened to, but they can not be allowed to derail the majority viewpoint of the EU partner nations.

Labels: EU, Euro Sceptics, Lisbon Treaty

Forthe complete report from the EUobserver click on this link

Barroso fears lame-duck commission - by Honor Mahony

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso wants Europe to be a leading world power but believes its institutional problems may prevent it from negotiating on the key issue that could help achieve this goal. On the brink of possible re-appointment for a second term as head of the EU executive, Mr Barroso says he fears that ongoing uncertainty over the Lisbon Treaty, the EU's new set of internal rules, could mean he is saddled with a lame-duck institution at an international summit on climate change in December in Copenhagen."I fear the commission will not be there with its full competence politically and even legally," he told EUobserver and other media on Friday (4 September). The uncertainty stems from the fact that even if he gets parliament's approval next week for a further five years in office, there is no guarantee that the Lisbon Treaty will have been approved by all four of the remaining member states by the end of October, when the current commission's term expires.

Labels: Barroso, EU, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from the Scotsman.com click on this link

German court ruling calls into question the entire European project post Lisbon- by Struan Stevenson

A landmark legal ruling in Germany has sent the EU integration project into complete disarray. The German Constitutional Court examined the Lisbon Treaty – the successor to the infamous EU Constitution – and ruled the sovereignty of a member state (in this case Germany), must always take precedence over diktats from Brussels. The Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe effectively declared itself the highest supervisory body in conflicts between Germany and the EU, thus explicitly placing itself above the authority of the European Court of Justice. As Der Spiegel reported: "Thi s borders on a declaration of war on the European Court, which sees itself as the only authority capable of ruling on the validity and applicability of EU law." The German judges went further by ruling the German Parliament had been wrong in passing an "accompanying law" to the Lisbon Treaty, which determined the rights of the German parliament to participate in European legislation.

Labels: EU, Germany, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from the Nasdaq click on this link

The prospect of the E.U. reform treaty passing its main hurdle to ratification, an October referendum in Ireland, received a boost Saturday when Ireland's Green Party decided to push for a 'yes' vote. The Greens, a junior party in Ireland's ruling coalition, voted by a two-to- one majority to campaign for the Lisbon Treaty, which Irish voters rejected in a first referendum in June 2008, sending shock waves through the bloc. At Saturday's special convention Green Party members voted by 214 (66%) to 107 (33%) in favor of the treaty.

The most recent opinion polls show 54% of Irish voters would now say 'yes' to the Lisbon Treaty. Almost all the other 27 E.U. member states have endorsed the treaty, which is designed to streamline the E.U.'s decision-making, through votes in their national parliaments.Only Ireland is constitutionally bound to put the treaty to a vote. The Czech Republic, Germany and Poland are also still to ratify the Lisbon Treaty but do not have to put the matter to a public election.

Labels: EU, Ireland, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from European Voice click on this link

EU casts Irish guarantees on Lisbon 'in iron' - by Judith Crosbie

EU leaders satisfy Irish government's concerns with an agreement that would not alter “a dot or a comma” of the EU's reform treaty. Ireland will hold a referendum in early October on the Lisbon treaty after winning “cast-iron legal guarantees” on issues of concern to the Irish electorate, Brian Cowen, the prime minister said today. The deal was brokered following negotiations with the UK, which accepted that Ireland needed a legally binding protocol on tax, ethical issues and neutrality. As requested by Ireland, all 27 member states will ratify the protocol when they approve the next accession treaty, most likely Croatia's.

Labels: EU, Ireland, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from the Telegraph click on this link

EU trains a new diplomatic corps - without waiting for Lisbon Treaty - by Bruno Waterfield

Five hundred and thirty staff from the European Commission have already begun training to build a "shared diplomatic culture and an esprit de corps" for the EU's putative External Action Service (EEAS). The disclosure that the Commission has simply pressed on regardless and begun training the euro-diplomats infuriated Irish politicians. Ireland is expected to hold a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in October. Declan Ganley, an Irish campaigner for a "No" vote, said: "It is cause for serious concern that, by implementing the Lisbon Treaty, EU institutions are manifesting outright contempt for democracy."

Note EU-Digest: Another negative anti-EU report by the Telegraph. If Euro sceptics have problems with the EU, why don't they get out of the EU. If it had not been for their membership in the EU the economic crises would have decimated countries like Ireland and other "complainers".

Labels: Diplomatic Corps, EU, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from BusinessWeek click on this link

Czech Political Crisis Could Help EU Treaty - by Jan Machacek

The coalition government of the Czech Republic lost a confidence vote on 24 March and is expected to be out of office within weeks. Leaving aside for the moment the effect on the egocentric Czech political scene, what are the European consequences of the government falling midway through its prestigious European Union presidency? It is going to mean that during the worst economic crisis in its history, the EU will lack credible leadership for the next three months. This could have lasting effects especially for the smaller EU states and for all in the east of the bloc. After this, small and mid-size countries may never again be trusted with the current arsenal of presidential powers. Next, the EU states that want a sharper line between eurozone members and others – a form of economic and financial governance for the eurozone – will be strengthened. And if that happens, one of the first victims could be Poland, which is trying to talk its way into ERM 2 (the waiting room for full eurozone membership) as soon as possible. The Poles need allies, but a rudderless Czech Republic will be unable to articulate any position or offer them support. The way this plot line develops depends on who prevails in Czech politics. Will it be the euroskeptic President Vaclav Klaus or the Klaus-averse coalition of Topolanek's Civic Democrats and the opposition Social Democrats that may be emerging?

Labels: Czech Republic, EU, Lisbon Treaty, Politics

For the complete report from the theParliament.com click on this link

Czech lower chamber approves EU reform treaty

The Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU presidency, moved a step closer to ratifying the document on Wednesday when MPs in the second chamber voted 125 to 61 in favour of adopting it. However, the treaty, which is aimed at streamlining the functioning of the EU 27-nation bloc, must also be approved by the upper house of parliament, where a vote is expected in April.

Labels: Czech Republic, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from the EUobserver click on this link

Irish poll shows swing in favour of Lisbon treaty - by Honor Mahony

A new poll has shown a swing in favour of the Lisbon treaty in Ireland as the main political parties argue about when would be the best time to hold a second referendum on the document. According to a survey carried out by the Irish Times newspaper, 51 percent are in favour of the treaty while 33 percent would vote against it. The swing in Lisbon's favour comes amid the country's convulsions in the economic crisis, which has caused massive job losses. The state of the Irish economy has prompted comparisons between it and non-EU member Iceland, where the government collapsed over the crisis and which has needed an International Monetary Fund bailout. Politicians have said that if Ireland was not in the EU, it would be in the same situation as the small Arctic country.

Labels: EU, Ireland, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from EurActiv.com click on this link

Libertas 'founding member' denies affiliation

Mincho Hristov, a Bulgarian MP who was listed as a member of the Libertas anti-Lisbon campaign group in an application to win pan-European party status, denied the affiliation in an interview with EurActiv yesterday (4 February).Following Estonian 'founding member' of Libertas Igor Grazin's recent decision to deny being a member of Libertas, the anti-Lisbon Treaty pan-European party launched recently, his Bulgarian 'colleague', MP Mincho Hristov, also denied having had any contact with the new political project. Mincho Hristov Kuminev, who describes himself as "anti-establishment", arrived in the Bulgarian parliament in 2005 as a member of the nationalist party Ataka, but left the group soon afterwards. He is now an independent MP, active in exposing corruption. The international press called him "Mincho Kuminev", according to the information provided by Libertas, but in his country he is known as Mincho Hristov.

The controversial Irish anti-Lisbon Treaty platform Libertas is back in the spotlight, following a bizarre 24 hours of speculation, accusations and counter-accusations in the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg. Declan Ganley [Libertas leader] has been trying hard to recruit thousands of people to support his cause by scurrying around the 27 EU states. So far he has only found six parliamentarians who he says support him. Liberal EU MEP Andrew Duff said "Libertas will receive no EU funds until this matter is resolved"

Labels: EU, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from the BBC NEWS click on this link

Sweden ratifies EU Lisbon Treaty

Sweden has become the 24th of the EU's 27 member states to ratify the controversial Lisbon Treaty. Sweden's parliament backed the new reform treaty after a late-night debate, with 243 votes in favour, 39 against and 67 deputies absent or abstaining.

Labels: EU, Lisbon Treaty, Sweden

For the complete report from Czechnews click on this link

Most Czechs know little about Lisbon Treaty

More than half of the Czech population oppose the Lisbon Treaty, but only one-quarter of Czechs know what effects the treaty would have on the Czech Republic, according to a poll conducted by STEM in October. Only three percent of the survey's 1,245 participants know with certainty what the treaty is about. One quarter said they knew "more or less", while almost a half of those polled knew nothing at all about the treaty. Note EU-Digest: This is most alarming, because in January the Czech Republic will hold the presidency of the EU.

Labels: EU, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from the WSJ.com click on this link

"If anyone is looking for a diversion from the U.S. election this week, may we suggest EU enlargement. This always touchy subject will pop up again tomorrow when Brussels reviews its expansion strategy. The European Commission is expected to announce that Croatia is on track to finish accession negotiations next year and join the union in 2011, and that progress in other countries, including Turkey and Serbia, has been slow in the past 12 months. Then Paris and Berlin will restate their opposition to any more enlargement before the stalled Lisbon Treaty is fully ratified.

Admission to the EU requires candidates and existing members alike to uphold their respective ends of the bargain. At present, both sides have more work to do."

Labels: Croatia, EU, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from The Irish Times click on this link

A Lisbon perspective on the Lisbon Treaty - by Maria Joao Rodrigues

"As adviser to the prime minister of Portugal, I was in the European Council in October 2007 when champagne glasses were raised by all the European leaders to greet the final agreement on the new treaty. I remember the joy and relief when after two painful years (in fact five), it was possible to reach a consensus on a new treaty, which has several shortcomings but also many achievements: a Charter of Fundamental Rights, more effective and democratic decision-making, a more co-ordinated external focus for the European Union, a stronger euro zone, a bolder energy policy and a social clause. I also remember that a new determination was in the room when the European leaders turned to the future and to a central concern of citizens: how can Europe cope with globalisation? For all these reasons, the current crisis calls for a clear rendezvous in the European Council in December. Its central responsibility will be to adopt a fully-fledged plan to tackle the financial and economic crisis and to mobilise all necessary means.

This will very likely be the right moment for Ireland to clarify its willingness to promote a new consultation process in order to take into account the new current challenges, as well as the possibilities of accommodating specific Irish concerns regarding neutrality, the European Commissioner, abortion and other social issues. The rendezvous regarding the new treaty will be in December because the crisis will not wait. Stronger European action will be needed."

Labels: EU, Ireland, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from The Irish Times click on this link

Finding a way out of the Lisbon deadlock

Those who interface with Europe at the political level fully appreciate the fallout from the Irish No vote on the Lisbon Treaty and the need to act. Those who voted No will not admit that we have a problem. The implications for this country of that No vote are not readily apparent and to date there have been no perceptible negative consequences. But the reason for this is that the EU expects the Irish Government to resolve the current impasse.

Labels: EU, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from Bloomberg.com click on this link

Sarkozy says EU Treaty Needs No Renegotiation - by Helene Fouquet

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the Lisbon Treaty to overhaul European Union institutions should not be renegotiated after Irish voters rejected the treaty, the Irish Times newspaper reported today, citing an interview. Sarkozy, who holds the rotating presidency of the EU, will visit Ireland on July 21. He said Europe must resolve the crisis ``several months'' before the June EU parliamentary elections and the Commission's renewal later next year, the newspaper said.

Europe needs Ireland and Ireland needs Europe, Sarkozy told the newspaper. The French leader said the EU's executive arm, the Commission, under the Lisbon Treaty, could keep one commissioner for each of the 27 member states until at least 2014 and that this could be discussed as a solution with Ireland, the newspaper said. He said the EU common defense plan would not threaten the Irish neutrality, the Irish Times reported.

Labels: EU, Lisbon Treaty, Sarkozy

For the complete report from the Deutsche Welle click on this link

Britain Ratifies EU's Treaty of Lisbon

Britain has formally ratified the European Union's Treaty of Lisbon, the country's Foreign Ministry said in London. The beleaguered treaty's future is still in doubt after Irish voters rejected it last month. Both houses of the British parliament as well as the head of state Queen Elizabeth II gave the nod to the reform treaty. All steps for the final ratification were taken and the documents were deposited in Rome, where the 1957 Treaty of Rome for the founding the European Economic Community was signed.

Labels: Britain, EU, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from the Telegraph click on this link

Irish 'No' vote architect plans Europe-wide 'referendum' on Lisbon Treaty - by Tim Shipman

The man who delivered an historic "No" vote in Ireland against the EU's Lisbon Treaty has revealed far-reaching plans to give voters throughout Europe a peoples' referendum on the handover of power to Brussels. Declan Ganley is planning to field more than 400 candidates in next June's European Parliament elections, in the 26 countries – including Britain – where voters have had no direct say on the treaty. The energy and rhetoric of Mr Ganley, a multimillionaire businessman, was widely credited with persuading the Irish to reject the treaty, even though every leading Irish political party apart from Sinn Fein was urging voters to say "Yes".

Labels: Ireland, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from B92 click on this link

Sarkozy " Lisbon Treaty and expansion go hand in hand"

Outlining the French EU presidency’s objectives for the next six months, the French president said that without institutional reform based on the Lisbon Treaty, the EU would not be able to expand beyond the current 27.

The current members who back expansion cannot at the same time say 'we don’t want Lisbon, but we want expansion', because Lisbon and expansion go hand in hand,“ the French president explained. “It’s not a matter of blackmail, as there is no blackmail in Europe. It’s a question of consistency, respect and logic. As far as Croatia is concerned, it needs to continue negotiations, but everyone has to assume responsibility. If Europe needs to expand, and I think it does, it will be with new institutions,” he added.

Labels: EU, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from the China View click on this link

Netherlands approves Lisbon Treaty

The Dutch Senate approved the Lisbon Treaty on Tuesday, making it the 21st European Union (EU) member state to complete the ratification procedure of the bloc's reform treaty. Dutch senators voted 60 to 15 in favor of the treaty, signed by leaders of the 27 EU nations last December to streamline the expanded union's decision-making process. The lower house of parliament had approved the treaty on June 5.

Labels: Lisbon Treaty, Netherlands

For the complete report from Reuters click on this link

Belgium completes approval of EU Lisbon treaty

Belgium on Thursday completed its approval of the European Union's Lisbon reform treaty as the parliament of the country's Flemish region cleared the document, rejected by Irish voters last month. The Belgian assembly's vote brings the number of countries that have completed the parliamentary process on the treaty to 22, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement. "This is a strong signal of how important it is that all member states are heard during the ratification process," Barroso said.

Labels: Belgium, EU, Lisbon Treaty

Businessweek

"Europe's Schizophrenic Politicians
The Lisbon Treaty continues to provoke disagreement. France and German consider it vital to enlargement, while others say that's nonsense

Such was the fallout of Ireland's "no" vote in a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty that three days after the EU signed a stabilization agreement with Bosnia, putting that country on course to eventual accession, French President Nicolas Sarkozy goes to Brussels and effectively says the club's membership is closed at the moment — and might not be open for a while to come.

Talk about mixed signals. You'd have to forgive EU hopefuls in the Balkans — and also Turkey — a twinge of anxiety. "

Labels: Lisbon Treaty

Labels: EU, Lisbon Treaty

Labels: Britain, Brown, EU, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from AFP click on this link

EU summiteers seek to avoid paralysis over treaty

EU leaders will meet in Brussels Thursday, eager to show that Europe can tackle pressing issues such as soaring oil prices, while handling the crisis caused by Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty. The 27 heads of state and government received a boost late Wednesday when the British parliament approved the treaty, designed to bring the EU's creaking institutions up to date to deal with an ever-expanding bloc. After a stormy debate the unelected upper House of Lords effectively ratified the treaty.

Britain, one of the biggest and most eurosceptic member states, thus became the first nation to push forward with the treaty since Irish voters firmly rejected it in a referendum a week ago. The bill is set to go for Royal Assent by Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday morning, hours before British Prime Minister Gordon Brown takes his place at the Brussels summit. To further show that the treaty has not been killed off by the Irish "no" vote, the European leaders are set to confirm that the eight nations still to ratify the text should continue to do so via the parliamentary route.

Labels: EU, Lisbon Treaty

For the complete report from Bloomberg.com click on this link

Brown Wins Liberal Support for EU Treaty's Final Hurdle in U.K. - by Mark Deen

Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords plan to back Prime Minister Gordon Brown's effort to approve the European Union governing treaty, clearing the way for British ratification of the document rejected by Irish voters. ``We should finish the process, just as the Irish have completed theirs,'' Lord Tom McNally, leader of the 76 Liberal Democrats in the upper chamber, said in an interview. ``Our intention is to see the bill pass. We're not going to fall into the Conservative elephant traps along the way.'' The comments indicate that Brown's Labour government has enough strength in the House of Lords to win final approval for the Lisbon Treaty when lawmakers vote later today. The treaty can only take effect once all 27 EU countries endorse it. Irish voters vetoed it in a referendum last week.

Labels: EU, Lisbon Treaty, UK

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Gormley warns Irish reputation at stake - by Mark Hennesy

Green Party leader John Gormley today said that a No vote in the Lisbon treaty referendum would jeopardise Ireland's reputation in the European Union. He made his remarks as he attended a Dublin meeting of European Greens, who are recommending a Yes vote even though the Irish Greens have not adopted a formal position on the Treaty. "When I hear renowned neo-cons and hawks like [US State Dept official] John Bolton encourage Irish people to vote No in Lisbon, it reminds me that I am on the right side of the debate," Mr Gormley said. "There are people in this campaign who want to see Ireland move into a more isolationist and Eurosceptic position. I have never been Eurosceptic, and I would hate to see Ireland move in this direction. Ireland enjoys a place at the very heart of Europe, and I fear that a No vote could endanger the influence and position that our small country has established over the last 36 years of our membership."

Belgian Green MEP Pierre Jonckheer said all Green MEPs in the European parliament are "very hopeful" that Ireland will accept the Treaty, despite recent opinion poll figures. "Ireland has little to fear from Lisbon, and much to gain from being at the centre of a Union that will be more democratic and efficient as a result of a Yes vote," he said.

Labels: EU, Ireland, Lisbon Treaty, referendum

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Irish EU Referendum: Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail clash over Lisbon consequences

The Minister for Finance has said that Ireland will have less influence in Europe if the Lisbon Treaty is rejected. Brian Lenihan was attacking the claims of the 'No' campaigners who say that Ireland will lose out by the loss of a commissioner and changes to the manner in which decisions are made. Today's Red C poll in the Sunday Business Post shows support for a 'No' vote at 39% - up six points, but the 'Yes' campaign remains ahead on 42%.

Labels: EU, Ireland, Lisbon Treaty, referendum

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No camp 'gains' in Irish EU vote

A survey published by the Irish Times on Friday suggested 35% of people would vote No - more than twice the figure polled two weeks ago - against 30% Yes. It is the first poll to put the Nos in the lead, ahead of Thursday's vote.

Friday's TNS/mrbi poll suggested 28% of voters were still undecided, while 7% say they will not take part at all. Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, who has led the Yes campaign, said he was confident of getting public approval. But he said a No vote would have "dire consequences". He blamed the latest poll figure on opponents "raising fears... creating suspicions".

EU-Digest: The Irish can not be so ignorant that they can't see all the benefits the EU has brought them. They also better stop listeningto those so-called "Euro skeptics" in Britain - a country which has never treated the Irish with much respect.The British Euro Skeptics actually are very much like the old time British Imperialists. They are ultra conservative, nationalistic and believe Britain is superior to all nations.

Francis A. Boyle, a law professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, wrote a report commissioned by the New York-based Irish Famine/Genocide Committee which concluded that "Clearly, during the years 1845 to 1850, the British government pursued a policy of mass starvation in Ireland with intent to destroy in substantial part the national, ethnic and racial group commonly known as the Irish People. EU membership for Ireland is not only a guarantee that this will never happen again, but it is also a source for long term economic prosperity. Voting yes on Thursday also means voting yes for an independent and strong Ireland.

Labels: EU, Ireland, Lisbon Treaty

Will Ireland self-destruct as a EU member

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Irish Referendum Lisbon Treaty: No vote would mean end of Ireland as a business gateway to Europe - by Patrick Logue and Killian Doyle - by Patrick Logue and Killian Doyle

Taoiseach Brian Cowen has said a Yes vote in the Lisbon Treaty referendum next week is “fundamentally in our interests” after a poll today showed it faces a shock rejection. Mr Cowen accused those opposed to the treaty of “spreading confusion” and bringing in “extraneous issues” that were nothing to do with the Treaty, which is subject to a referendum on June 12th. According to the Irish Times/TNS mrbi poll results, the number of people intending to vote No has almost doubled to 35 per cent (up 17 points) since the last poll three weeks ago, while the number of the Yes side has declined to 30 per cent (down 5 points).

The number of undecided voters is still a significant 28 per cent (down 12 points), while 7 per cent won’t vote. The findings suggest that Mr Cowen faces a humiliating defeat

Note EU-Digest: A no vote would mean “queers Irish sales pitch to companies thinking about investing in Ireland as a base within Europe”. Former Progressive Democrats leader Ms Harney said she believed that Ireland’s best interests in terms of investment and job creation are supported by a Yes vote next Thursday. Ms Harney directly challenged leading anti-Lisbon campaigners including Declan Ganley, Joe Higgins and Mary Lou McDonald, to debate with her on how a No vote would serve Ireland in the future. Making reference to her former role as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Minister questioned how anti-Lisbon campaigners could comment on the economic implications of the treaty when they lack experience of attracting investment into Ireland.

Labels: EU, Ireland, Lisbon Treaty, referendum

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Treaty of Lisbon: No becomes Yes - by John Tyler

Three years ago the people of the Netherlands rejected the European constitution. This week, the Dutch parliament is ratifying the Treaty of Lisbon. This new treaty scrapped the symbols of a federal state that were in the constitution. Otherwise, most of the new treaty is the same as the constitution. So what made the Dutch change their mind?

Labels: EU, Lisbon Treaty, Netherlands

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Bulgaria Ratifies Lisbon Treaty; European Commission Commends Approval - by D.C. Morales

The Bulgarian parliament ratified on Friday the Lisbon Treaty, by a vote of 199-15 with one abstention, becoming the sixth European Union member to adopt the treaty. The five other E.U. members that have approved the Lisbon Treaty are France, Malta, Hungary, Romania and Slovenia. If the other 21 E.U. members will endorse the treaty, it will be enforced in January next year. The Lisbon Treaty was signed by E.U. heads of state last December that have vowed to ratify it before European Parliament elections next year to erase doubts about the region's future direction.

The treaty will streamline the E.U.'s operations by cutting the size of the European Parliament, limiting the use of national vetoes and creating a post of more permanent president and European foreign policy heads. It will make E.U.'s much-needed institutional reforms possible.

Labels: Bulgaria, EU CONSTITUTION, Lisbon Treaty