On 13 December 2007, the representatives of the Member States solemnly signed the Reform Treaty, which has been titled the Lisbon Treaty since.

On 12 December 2007, the representatives of the European institutions – the EU Council, the European Commission and European Parliament, signed the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which will become legally binding upon the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty.

The Lisbon Treaty thus amends both the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC) according to the classical method. Henceforth, the EC Treaty will be called Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

Major new features of the Reform Treaty, compared to the treaties on which the European Union is founded:

•    the European Union has a single legal personality,

•    abolition of the three-pillar structure, while maintaining a special character of common foreign and security policy,

•    president of the European Council with a mandate for two and a half years,

•    High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

•    the possibility for Member States to withdraw from the EU,

•    postponing double majority voting in the Council to 2014, with a transitional period until 2017,

•    certain legal safeguards shall apply to the United Kingdom and partially to Ireland as regards strengthening judicial cooperation in criminal matters,

•    reference to the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union,

•    new reference to solidarity between the Member States in the field of energy, as well as tackling climate change,

•    increased role of the national parliaments in the European legislation process,

•    criteria and procedures for the accession of new Member States foresee a reference to Union’s values and a reference to the membership criteria agreed by the European Council,

•    under certain conditions, Ioannina mechanism allows postponing the adoption of a legal act in case it is disputable for certain Member States which do not represent a minority which could prevent its adoption

•    changed composition of the European Parliament – upon the Lisbon Treaty entering into force, the EP will number 750 + 1 Member of European Parliament,

•    the number of Advocates-General is increased by three; Poland will therefore acquire a permanent Advocate-General and the European Court of Justice will employ 11 Advocates General, 6 of which permanent.

After the signing of the Lisbon Treaty, ratification procedures started in the Member States in accordance with their national rules. In accordance with the Berlin Declaration, the new Treaty is expected to enter into force before the elections to the European Parliament in June 2009. The Treaty stipulates that it shall enter into force on 1 January 2009, provided that all ratification instruments are deposited by then. Should this not happen by 1 January 2009, the Treaty stipulates that it shall enter into force on the first day of the month following that in which the instrument of ratification is deposited of the last Signatory State to fulfil that formality.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia ratified the Treaty of Lisbon on 29 January 2008 by a convincing majority of 74 positive votes out of the total of 90 votes. So far, beside Slovenia, Hungary, Malta, Romania, France, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Denmark, Portugal, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Luxembourg, Finland, Estonia, Greece, Great Britain, Cyprus, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Italy have already ratified the Treaty.

By the end of the Slovenian Presidency, the Treaty of Lisbon has been ratified by 19 Member States. Ireland is the only Member State that decided on the Treaty in referendum. The Irish citizens rejected the Treaty.

After the negative outcome of the referendum in Ireland, Heads of State and Government, during their meeting at the European Council on 19 and 20 June 2008, conducted the first analysis of the reasons for the rejection of the Treaty and called for the continuation of ratification procedures in those Member States that have not endorsed it yet. They also agreed to address the possible ways out of this situation at the next meeting of the European Council.

Treaty of Lisbon amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community, signed at Lisbon, 13 December 2007

EUROPA - Treaty of Lisbon

Contact:

Veronika Bošković Pohar

t: 00 386 1 478 2581

f: 00 386 1 478 2486

e-mail: veronika.boskovic-pohar(at)gov.si

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(last changes 10.9.2008)