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The Treaty of Lisbon entered
into force on 1st December 2009.
The occasion was marked
by a ceremony in the City of Lisbon organised jointly by the
Portuguese Government, the Swedish Presidency and the European
Commission.
The Commission believes
that the new treaty provides significant new benefits for
citizens and will settle the institutional debate for the
foreseeable future. This will allow the European Union to
fully concentrate on managing a smooth exit from the economic
and financial crisis and pushing ahead with the 2020 strategy
for greener growth.
The Treaty of Lisbon amends
the current EU and EC treaties, without replacing them. It
will provide the Union with the legal framework and tools
necessary to meet future challenges and to respond to citizens'
demands.
The Treaty of Lisbon will ensure
European citizens have their say in European affairs and see
their fundamental rights set out in a charter. The EU will
be better equipped to meet expectations in the fields of energy,
climate change, cross-border crime and immigration. It will
also be able to speak with a stronger voice on the international
scene.
Among key improvements are -
-
A
more democratic and open and accountable Union
- the European Parliament and national parliaments will
now have a much greater say in the EU's decision-making
process and citizens will have the right to know what
their Ministers are deciding at the EU level. All European
citizens will be given the opportunity to influence proposed
EU laws.
-
A more effective Union
- through effective and streamlined institutions - including
swifter, more consistent decision-making on law and order
issues, giving the EU greater ability to combat crime,
terrorism and human trafficking.
-
More rights
for Europeans - the EU's values and goals will
be set down more clearly than ever before and the charter
of fundamental rights will be given the same legal status
as the EU treaties themselves.
-
A more prominent global actor
- new posts have been created as part of work to bring
more coherence between the different strands of its external
policy, such as diplomacy, security, trade and humanitarian
aid.
These improvements give the Union
the capacity to deliver change, to make Europeans more secure
and prosperous and to open up their opportunities to shape
globalisation.
Ten examples of benefits for European
citizens -
-
A right for citizens
to make a request to the Commission for it to propose
a new initiative ('European citizens initiative')
-
Better protection for
citizens through the new status given to the Charter of
fundamental rights
-
Diplomatic and consular
protection for all EU citizens when travelling and living
abroad
-
Mutual assistance against
natural or man-made catastrophes inside the Union, such
as flooding and forest fires
-
New possibilities to
deal with cross border effects of energy policy, civil
protection and combating serious cross border threats
to health
-
Common action on dealing
with criminal gangs who smuggle people across frontiers
-
Common rules to avoid
asylum shopping where multiple applications are made to
different member countries
-
Tackling terrorism through
the freezing of assets
-
More democratic approach
to EU decision-making (strengthened role of European Parliament
and national Parliaments)
-
An ability to provide
urgent financial aid to third countries.
Milestones concerning
the Treaty of Lisbon -
-
June 2007: European Council
mandate for an Intergovernmental Conference aiming at
amending the existing Treaties
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July-October 2007: Intergovernmental
Conference
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Approval of the Treaty
approved at the informal European Council on 18-19 October
2007
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12 December 2007: Proclamation
of the Charter of Fundamental Rights by the Presidents
of the European Parliament (EP), the Council and the Commission.
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13 December 2007: Signature
of the new Treaty in Lisbon
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December 2007 - November
2009: ratification procedures in all 27 Member States
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1 December 2009: - entry
into force of the Treaty
To access a copy of the Treaty
of Lisbon -
Click
Here
See also MEMO/09/531
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