Comhlámh Document on Lisbon Treaty

national | eu | other press Wednesday May 21, 2008 20:02 by Gar - N/A

I'm not a member of Comhlamh, but just thought I'd point out a document the NGO has produced on the Lisbon Treaty. The PDF is available on their website.

A summary of the Lisbon Treaty for Comhlámh supporters

On the 12th of June 2008 you can be part of shaping the future of the EU by using your vote in
the referendum on this treaty.

What is it?
The Lisbon Treaty is also known as the EU Reform Treaty. It aims to make the EU a more
efficient global player, to provide it with the institutional set-up to deal with its rapidly
growing membership (now 27 countries) and mandate, and to enable it to speak with one
voice.

Why should I vote?
As EU citizens we have a part to play in creating the EU. It should reflect the people who make
it up. Ireland is the only country in the EU where citizens have the chance to vote on the Lisbon
treaty. In other countries it has been passed through national parliaments. In Ireland we can
play a part in deciding what the European voice will be.

Democracy
This treaty will restructure the workings of the EU in an aim to simplify decision-making and
strengthen democratic accountability. Currently, two thirds of our laws are made at EU level.
The treaty will give the EU new law-making power in at least 32 new areas and broadens
current law-making power in 40 other areas. The EU Commission, which is not elected or
transparent, proposes these laws and our elected MEPs vote on them.

The treaty will reduce the number of MEPs to 751 (from 785) and increase the use of Qualified
Majority Voting (QMV) to new areas that currently need a unanimous vote in parliament. This
would reduce Ireland’s percentage of votes in the council from the current 2% to 0.8%,
resulting in less involvement of smaller countries in decision making and influencing laws.
The number of EU commissioners will be reduced from 27 to 18. This means that small
countries such as Ireland will be not represented in the EU by a commissioner for 5 out of every
15 years.

National parliaments will be able to challenge proposed legislation within eight weeks on the
grounds that action would make more sense at national or at regional level. Citizens can object
to the commission’s proposals if over a million citizens from at least 15 member states petition
the commission. In both cases the commission has to consider the objection to their proposal;
however it does not have to act upon the objection.

Thus the treaty increases the power of the European Commission without a corresponding
increase in accountability to either the European Parliament or the national parliaments. This
will weaken, not strengthen democratic accountability.
While many questions have not been addressed regarding how the new institutional set up will
function, and there is no consolidated text of the treaty available, the current focus of the EU
is on getting the treaty implemented by the end of 2008. However this puts Irish citizens in a
situation where we are voting on a treaty without adequate knowledge of what will happen
after implementation.

Development
The EU’s overarching development aim of eradicating poverty is enshrined in the treaty. The
treaty will create a new post of the High Representative of Foreign Affairs which will combine
two current roles and coordinate all of the EU’s external policies, offering the potential for
greater coherence. However, its mandate stresses the centrality of Security issues, not
Development. There is the danger that the aim is to improve coherence in the area of Security,
and that development concerns could get sidelined and marginalised.
According to critics this presents the risk that EU development funds may be diverted to
finance EU foreign policy objectives. The reduction of overall commissioners means
furthermore that there is no guarantee of a permanent Commissioner for Development.
Humanitarian Assistance

The treaty sets out the principles of ‘impartiality, neutrality, and non-discrimination’ in
relation to humanitarian assistance. Critics point out that the principle of ‘independence’ is
left out. This principle – that humanitarian assistance is free of political objectives – would
prevent EU humanitarian assistance being dependent on countries cooperating with the EU’s
political objectives.

The treaty calls for the establishment of a Voluntary Humanitarian Aid corps despite NGOs
having long campaigned against this on the basis that effective humanitarian assistance
requires professional intervention to ensure quality and accountability. According to critics
there is an inherent risk that both development and humanitarian responses will be subjugated
to political objectives.

Aid
The treaty repeats the EU commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to
reaching the target of giving 0.7% of GNP in overseas aid. However the treaty does not include
any concrete plans on how to implement these aspirations. Currently the average spending
within the EU on aid is 0.3% and most countries are not on track to achieve 0.7% by 2010. The
treaty aims to ensure that EU states coordinate their aid and make it more effective. Ireland
will still be able to agree on bilateral aid agreements with developing countries.

Trade
The Lisbon Treaty clearly enshrines the current pro-liberalisation approach of the European
Union as it puts into legislation that “all restrictions on the movement of capital between
Member States and between Member States and third countries shall be prohibited” (Art 56),
regardless of the end results for development, consumer rights, or environmental standards.
Furthermore the treaty adds to the range of trade decisions that are already made at EU level,
speeds up some trade decisions at EU level (through more QMV), and expands the powers of the
unelected Trade Commissioner.
Under the terms of the treaty, the trade commission will see its remit increased to cover the
issues of investment and intellectual property (areas many developing countries do not want to
liberalise) as well as further aspects of trade in services, in addition to its existing competence
on goods trade. Comhlamh has been campaigning against this approach for the last 10 years.

Military
The treaty commits member states to spending more on defence and to allowing the EU to use
their military and civilian facilities for military purposes. Member states can form a military
alliance within the EU and use EU resources for these military actions. Other member states
who are not participating are not involved in this alliance – in action, discussion, or voting -
however their resources may be used, and there is a risk that these alliances will be widely
viewed as an EU force.

How do I vote?
The referendum will be held on Thursday the 12th of June 2008.