Lisbon Treaty : a great success for the European Parliament

Despite being negotiated on the intergovernmental level, the new treaty represents a victory for representative democracy in Europe.

Jo Leinen (SPE) is Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament, honorary President of the Union of European Federalists and since 2002, Vice-President of the International European Movement.
Following the agreement on a new Reform Treaty, the European Union has taken great strides towards bringing the EU closer to its citizens. In future, decision-making will be both faster and more democratic. Also, the European Parliament and the national parliaments will play a greater role in the European decision-making process. The EU will function more effectively and thereby be better equipped to face the challenges of the 21st century. The closing of the IGC on 19 October marked the end of years of laborious negotiations. A new treaty had to be negotiated because France and the Netherlands had rejected the European Constitution.

In its present form, the Reform Treaty is no longer a constitution, but will nevertheless introduce the necessary reforms. Instead of a Constitution Treaty, which would have replaced all earlier EU treaties, the new treaty will amend the Treaty on the European Union and the Treaty Establishing the European Community, which is to be called the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFU).

A treaty for more democracy in Europe

Although the Reform Treaty is rather complex and difficult to understand for the average EU-citizen, its substance as proposed by the European Convention will be preserved. Once the new treaty enters into force, the EU will become more democratic and citizen-friendly. The European Parliament in particular, benefits from the proposed reforms. The co-decision procedure between Parliament and Council will become the rule. Recent decisions, concerning roaming fees and the services directive demonstrate how the European Parliament’s participation leads to brave decisions, which are in the interest of EU-citizens. In future, the European Parliament will have powers equal to the Council of Ministers in many areas. Even regarding agricultural policy, which accounts for almost 40% of the EU budget, the European Parliament will be able to participate in the decision-making process. Furthermore, the EP will have a say concerning all aspects of the EU budget. This extension of EP powers also entails the right to elect the European Commission including the President of the Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (the de-facto EU foreign minister).

The role of national parliaments strengthened

The new treaty will increase powers of the national parliaments as well. They will be notified prior to the adoption of EU legislation and will be able to force the Commission to revise draft EU-legislation. Furthermore, the introduction of the European Citizen’s Initiative (ECI) represents a milestone in bringing the EU closer to its citizens. If an initiative is signed by at least a million citizens, the Commission will have to put the proposal on the agenda. This will enable EU-citizens to exercise greater and more direct influence on EU-politics.

Qualified majority voting will be extended and the European Parliament’s sphere of influence will widen

From the European Parliament’s point of view, the increased efficiency in the functioning of the EU is particularly important. Qualified majority voting will be extended to most policy areas replacing unanimous decision-making. As a result, member states can no longer block decisions merely to safeguard their own particular interests. Moreover, the creation of the post of President of the European Council will enhance consistency within the European Council. Its priorities will not be redrawn every six months or every time the presidency rotates. The future de-facto EU foreign minister – due to British reservations he will be called High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy – will contribute considerably to representing a stronger and more coherent image of the EU to the outside world. The Reform Treaty will also extend the competences of the EU to include energy, climate and space policy, areas in which only the joint effort of all member states can ensure a successful outcome.

The European Parliament’s influence clearly visible in the Reform Treaty

Without the continuous effort of the European Parliament, the Reform Treaty as it will be presented for ratification, could not have come about. Although final modifications to the treaty will be predominantly made by national governments, the overwhelming number of reforms is based on proposals made by the European Convention. The Convention was established chiefly as a result of political pressure exercised by the European Parliament. During the one and a half years of negotiations in the Convention, members of national parliaments and the EP outnumbered representatives of government, which was the main reason why these amendments of EU-law were made possible. After the rejection of the constitution in France and the Netherlands had led to an impasse, it was the EP’s commitment that lent support to advocates of reform and resulted in the revival of the project. In the ensuing ICG it was possible to retain most of the content of the original constitution and thereby pave the way for the most wide-reaching EU-reform so far.

However, the new treaty has yet to be ratified in all member states before coming into force. Ireland is the only country, which is bound by constitution to a referendum. Although Britain, Denmark and a number of other countries have the option of holding a referendum, a lot points to them passing the treaty through their national parliaments. Irrespective of ratification procedures, all governments are required to inform their citizens about the content and amendments in the new treaty. Polls in all member states show that EU-citizens feel insufficiently informed about the politics and functioning of the EU. In the coming months, it is therefore crucial to initiate a dialogue with citizens, addressing the future of Europe. Such a dialogue requires contributions not only from European, but also from national, regional and local politicians.