A year ago, Irish voters rejected the treaty, a watered-down version of the constitution that French and Dutch voters vetoed in 2005. The treaty gives the bloc more decisive leadership, effective foreign policy, and a fairer decision-making system.
Follow the link for a clear map of the E.U.
27 Countries
Here are some of the main points of the 250-page treaty.
* INSTITUTIONS: E.U. leaders will choose a president of the European Council for a renewable 2-1/2 year term to strengthen the system of rotating presidencies.
-- A powerful new foreign policy chief, at the head of an E.U. foreign service, will give the bloc a more significant say on the world stage. The High Representative will answer to E.U. governments, vice-president of the European Commission, and manage the E.U. executive's large external aid budget.
-- The Eurogroup of finance ministers of countries that share the euro single currency will be formalized for the first time and will elect a chairman for a renewable 2-1/2-year term.
-- Member states will benefit from a NATO-style mutual defense clause if one of them is attacked.
-- The European Court of Justice will be given more power by being allowed to rule on whether national legislation on justice and home affairs is compatible with E.U. laws, except for Britain and Ireland, which secured opt-outs.
-- The European Commission, the E.U.'s executive, will have fewer members from 2014. Each of E.U.'s 27 nations now appoints a commissioner, but the size will be capped at two-thirds of the number of member states.
-- The number of seats in the European Parliament will be increased to 751 from 736.
* VOTING: E.U. decision-making will continue based on the weighted voting system agreed upon in the 2000 Nice Treaty until 2014.
-- After that, voting will be based on a "double majority" system requiring 55 percent of member states representing 65 percent of the E.U. population to pass a decision.
-- From 2014 to 2017, any country can ask to revert to the old rules in any vote. States just short of a blocking minority may invoke a mechanism to delay E.U. decisions for several months.
-- The treaty allows decision-making in more policy areas by majority voting, notably in justice and home affairs. Foreign and defense policy, tax matters, and E.U. budget and revenue decisions will continue to require unanimity.
-- Britain and Ireland won the right to opt out of closer police and justice cooperation but not to stop other member states from moving ahead without them.
-- National parliaments will be given a say in drafting E.U. laws. They will review draft proposals; if one-third reject them, the European Commission must change them.
* CITIZENS' RIGHTS: The treaty gives binding force to an existing Charter of Fundamental Rights in all member states except Britain and Poland, which won opt-outs.
- - Britain did not want provisions such as a broadly defined right to strike, the subject of bitter labor conflicts in the 1980s -- to be imposed on it from outside.
E.U. headquarter & Parliament Brussels
* POLICIES: The treaty introduces a standard energy policy and fighting climate change as objectives.
-- The treaty introduces a formal possibility for a country to leave the E.U. under negotiated terms.
-- One million E.U. citizens may ask the European Commission in a petition to draft legislation in a given area.
* SECURITY: Increased security for all: the Union will get an extended capacity to act on freedom, safety, and justice, directly benefiting its ability to fight crime and terrorism.
-- New provisions on civil protection, humanitarian aid, and public health also aim at boosting the Union's ability to respond to threats to the security of European citizens.
Oct 2 (Reuters) - E.U. Parliament in Brussels
My Conclusion.
There is still a long way to go before the E.U. Institution becomes a smooth-running Union of Countries. As history has shown us, century after century, every empire has its rise and decline. Is the United States declining in the eyes of the world? We are no longer in a position to lead, our credibility chatters, our economy is to pieces, and our outlook into the future is grim. Our government was once the beacon of Democracy, and its policies were sought after as an example of Justice "by the people for the people." Somewhere along the road, we became arrogant, complaisant, and careless. We left Democracy behind for Capitalism, WE said yes to war for the wrong reason, and we bred a man like Madoff, whose only objective was to make money regardless of who and how many he had to ruin. The ruin of the real estate market, forcing thousands of families to foreclose breaking financial institutions, is another sign of greed and decadence. How long before we reclaim our constitution, and at what cost?
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