Lisbon treaty fails to simplify EU rules for citizens, MEPs say
The European Parliament's constitutional committee has given a green light to the new EU Lisbon treaty, suggesting it will make the bloc's rules more democratic and suitable for the future, while remaining "less clear and readable" for its citizens.
MEPs in the key parliamentary body dealing with institutional affairs of the 27-strong union gave their political blessing to the document, with 20 votes in favour and 6 against on Wednesday (23 January).
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The report accompanying the vote by Spanish centre-right MEP Iñigo Mendez de Vigo and British Labour MEP Richard Corbett highlights the key positive features of the treaty, adopted on 13 December by EU leaders and set for a ratification in each member state this year.
The report argues that the new treaty will make the EU more democratic by boosting the role of European and national parliaments as well as strengthening the citizens' rights through a brand new Charter of Fundamental Rights attached to the document.
However, the MEPs criticise the special arrangements for the UK and Ireland in the area of police cooperation, and Britain and Poland's opt-out from the charter of rights.
Deputies also praise more effective rules for decision-making among EU institutions and the treaty having more clearly defined which of the bloc's policy areas to focus on.
On the other hand, they regret that the Lisbon treaty does not take the form of a constitution, as with the European Constitutional Treaty, which first introduced the key institutional changes but was rejected in 2005 by French and Dutch voters.
They suggest the new text is "less clear and readable" than the failed EU constitution, despite EU leaders originally stating they want a new rulebook to be more approachable to ordinary citizens.
In a bid to solve the problem, parliamentarians urge national authorities to prepare short explanatory versions of the treaty as part of information campaigns ahead of the ratification process in individual countries.
The constitutional committee pointed out that member states should do their best to adopt the document in their national parliaments or by a referendum in Ireland by June 2009 – before the next elections to the European Parliament.
So far, only Hungary has ratified the treaty.