Zone 3- Micro Analysis- ‘Lisbon Treaty- Streamlining the European Union’

Week # 97, Dated4th – 11th Dec. 09’

The Treaty of Lisbon (initially known as the Reform Treaty) is a treaty that was signed by the European Union (EU) member states on 13 December 2007, and entered into force on 1 December 2009. It amends the Treaty on European Union (TEU, Maastricht; 1992) and the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC, Rome; 1957).[1]
Prominent changes included more qualified majority voting in the Council of Ministers, increased involvement of the European Parliament in the legislative process through extended co decision with the Council of Ministers, the elimination of the pillar system and the creation of a long-term President of the European Council and a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to present a united position on EU policies. The Treaty also made the Union's human rights charter, the Charter of Fundamental Rights, legally binding. [2]

Under the Lisbon Treaty[3]:

Top jobs
A politician is chosen to be President of the European Council for two and a half years, replacing the current system where presidency is rotated between member states every six months. Belgian Prime Minister, Herman van Rompuy has been chosen by the EU leaders to be the first permanent European Council President.
The post of the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy combines the former roles of EU Foreign Policy chief and External Affairs Commissioner. The job of foreign affairs supremo has gone to the EU Trade Commissioner, Baroness Catherine Ashton from the UK.
Charter of Fundamental Rights

The Lisbon Treaty makes the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights a legally-binding document. The Charter lists the human rights recognized by the European Union.
Citizens’ Initiative

Under the Lisbon Treaty, the Commission is obliged to consider any proposal signed by at least one million citizens from a number of member states.
National parliaments to get ‘yellow card’ facility
All proposals for EU legislation will have to be sent to national parliaments. If enough national parliaments object to a proposal, the Commission can decide to maintain, amend or withdraw it.
Smaller commission
The European Commission is the EU’s executive arm; it put forwards legislation and ensures that EU policies are correctly implemented.
The 27 commissioners of the EC will be reduced to 18 members from 2014 onwards, with membership rotating every five years, i.e. only two-thirds of member states will have their own commissioner at any one time, and each country will lose its commissioner for five years at a time.
Areas of EU competence

It establishes joint competence in the areas of space and energy. It also gives the EU the role of supporting competence in several new fields including health, education, tourism, energy and sport.
Redistribution of voting weights between member states

Within those areas to be decided by qualified majority voting, the current rules require the support of a little over 72% of member states for a law to be passed. Under the new system due to come into effect from 2014, a vote can be passed if it is backed by 55% of member states, and secondly, if these countries represent 65% of the EU’s population. It can also be passed if less than four countries oppose it. The changes mean that it will be easier to pass legislation, and more difficult to block it. Countries with smaller populations will have less chance of blocking legislation.
Shift from unanimity to majority voting

The Lisbon Treaty will see an increase in the number of policy areas to be decided by a majority vote at the Council, rather than by unanimity. There are some notable exceptions that will still require unanimous decisions, including taxation and defence.

One area where the unanimity veto will give way to qualified majority voting is Justice and Home Affairs, covering issues such as asylum, immigration, criminal law, border controls and police cooperation.
Changes to Common Security and Defence Policy

The Lisbon Treaty provides for the progressive framing of a common defence policy for the European Union, which will nonetheless respect the neutrality of member states. It also allows the European Council to change decision-making from unanimity to majority voting in a number of areas, excluding military and defence. However such changes will themselves require unanimous decisions.

Arguments for and against the Lisbon Treaty: [4]

For
· The Lisbon Treaty clarified the power of the EU and the role of the nation state.
· Changes to Qualified majority voting QMV made the voting system fairer for all members and decision-making more democratic.
· The Treaty safeguards citizens' fundamental rights.
· The EU is more likely to pass legislation, even with twenty-seven or more members.
· With the longer-term presidency, individual nation states are less able to pursue specific interests as the leadership is acting in the interests of EU, giving focus and direction.
Against
· It gives the unelected EU Commission greater say over foreign and home affairs. This challenges the principle that sovereign states should have control over these important policy areas.
·
Nations like the UK are no longer able to use a veto to block future changes in an increasing number of areas, potentially even those in which they have negotiated an opt-out.
· The treaty made the EU an international actor in its own right, separate from, and superior to, it’s Member States. It turns what was an international agreement into something more like a single state.
· Changes did not address the EU's democratic deficit - the Commission remains answerable solely to the European Council and not directly to any EU citizens, as does the new President.
· The European Court of Justice ECJ gained jurisdiction in a range of areas, including the power to dictate the fundamental rights of all EU citizens, with precedence over long-established national institutions.

For now the pre-existing system, whereby an EU nation assumed the rotating presidency for a six-month period, is being retained. In the new year Spain is to assume the rotating presidency from Sweden. This however does not extend to the EU summits and foreign ministers' meetings, when EU Council president Van Rompuy and foreign policy High Representative Baroness Ashton will be in the chair.

Bibliography/ Related Links:
http://europa.eu/lisbon_treaty/index_en.htm
http://www.civitas.org.uk/eufacts/FSTREAT/TR6.htm
http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/2773
http://eurolinknews.com/2008/04/25/the-lisbon-treaty-for-dummies-25408
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Lisbon
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6901353.stm
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e9a41976-ef35-11de-86c4-00144feab49a.html
http://www.mysinchew.com/node/33278
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8367589.stm
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/archive/c/c9/20091108160404%21Lisbon-ratification.gif
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Lisbon
[2] Ibid
[3] http://eurolinknews.com/2008/04/25/the-lisbon-treaty-for-dummies-25408
[4] http://www.civitas.org.uk/eufacts/FSTREAT/TR6.htm

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Business and Politics in the Muslim World (BPM)refers to the project entitled, "Globalized Business and Politics: A View from the Muslim World.' The blog development project has been undertaken and jointly developed by the Gilani Research Foundation and BPM as a free resource and social discussion tool.
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Zone 3- Americas, Europe and Australasia Summary Week # 92

Week # 92- Dated 1st -7th Nov. 09’

WESTERN EUROPE

Britain is using genetic tests on some African asylum seekers in an effort to catch those who are lying about their nationality. This move has drawn criticism from scientists and provoked outrage from rights groups. Also a group of British lawmakers proposed new laws last week to ban the use of airports, harbors or highways in the secret rendition of suspected terrorists. Meanwhile Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Washington's closest ally in Afghanistan, toughened his tone last week with a harsh message for the Afghan leadership demanding a crack down on corruption.
The British government moved Tuesday to break up the country's two biggest retail banks, imposing a major shakeup on the financial sector as it exacts payback for last year's massive state bailout.
Last week in Paris prosecutors said they will not appeal a judge's decision to order former French President Jacques Chirac to stand trial in an alleged corruption case that predated his presidency. The case would mark the first time a former leader of modern France would be forced to defend him self in court. Meanwhile President Nicolas Sarkozy's government is drawing up a reform plan to do away with investigating judges, a two-century-old Napoleonic legacy, who enjoy sweeping powers including ordering phone taps, home searches, interrogating terrorists and even bring down politicians.
With the Czech President Vaclav Klaus’s signing of the Lisbon Treaty the last major hurdle, the resolution looks set to become law within weeks. Meanwhile senior U.S. and Czech defense officials held talks Friday to discuss ways for the Czech Republic to participate in a reworked U.S. missile defense plan
Last week in Scotland, Finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 20 countries gathered to negotiate the imbalances weighing on the world economy. Meanwhile Sweden and Finland approved a Baltic Sea pipeline project that would ship Russian natural gas to Germany.

SOUTHERN EUROPE

An Italian judge found 23 Americans and two Italians guilty last week in the kidnapping of an Egyptian terror suspect, delivering the first legal convictions anywhere in the world against people involved in the CIA's extraordinary renditions program. Meanwhile the Vatican has denounced a ruling by the European court of human rights that said the display of crucifixes in Italian public schools violates religious and education freedoms.
Due to Africans' demands, most of the rest of this week's Climate Change talks in Spain will be devoted to discussing carbon-cutting pledges rather than other issues including carbon offsets and action by developing countries.

SOUTH-EAST EUROPE

Romanian Authorities have banned all visits to hospitals to prevent the spread of swine flu. Over the past week alone, 174 new cases of the H1N1 virus have been registered, bringing the total number to 555. Meanwhile Romanian Prime Minister-designate Lucian Croitoru lost a vote of confidence in parliament last week against his proposed cabinet.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Republika Srpska (RS) Prime Minister Milorad Dodik announced last week his withdrawal from talks on constitutional reforms aimed at speeding BiH's EU and NATO accession. Meanwhile Serbian President Boris Tadic announced that Serbia could apply for EU membership by the end of the year.
Croatian Presidential elections are due to be held on December 27th. Also the Croatian cabinet has approved an arbitration agreement with Slovenia that should result in solution to the year-long border dispute between the two states.

US/CANADA

Last week the US Senate voted unanimously to extend aid for jobless workers and broaden tax breaks for homebuyers and businesses in a bid to breathe life into the struggling economy. Meanwhile according to news reports President Barack Obama and the Democrats, heading into next year's elections for control of Congress are losing independents to the Republicans and parts of their own Democratic base to apathy.
According to a report, Preparations for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games have given the Canadian city an economic boost comparable to those enjoyed by past host cities. However, overall Canada lost more jobs in October than previously predicted, dashing hopes for a quick economic rebound and suggesting a recovery in the labor market may have gotten off to a false start. Meanwhile close to 6 million Canadians, or about 18 percent of the population, will be vaccinated against H1N1 flu by early next week.

LATIN AMERICA

An agreement to end a four-month political crisis in Honduras collapsed last week after the ousted President Manuel Zelaya and de facto leader Roberto Micheletti failed to form a government of unity to heal the damage from a June coup.
Meanwhile Haitian senators have taken a key first step toward replacing the prime minister they ousted a week ago. In a 22-0 vote, lawmakers affirmed that planning and external cooperation minister Jean-Max Bellerive meets constitutional requirements to be prime minister.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's government is sending 15,000 soldiers to the border with Colombia, claiming the military buildup is needed to combat drug trafficking and root out paramilitary groups.
Israeli President Shimon Peres is to visit Brazil next week, just days before Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is to also arrive. Also Presidents Peres of Israel, Mahmud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela are due to visit Argentina this month and according to a diplomat, Peres and Kirchner will discuss the "conflict in the Middle East" and address "Iran's growing influence in Latin America and its hate-filled ideology and intention to obtain nuclear arms”. Argentina has the largest Jewish community in Latin America where almost 300,000 Jews reside.
Chilean government economists are upbeat about the country's growth, but Argentina is struggling with endemic stoppages by farmers and workers angry over government policies; recently Buenos Aires was hit by a series of strikes.
Meanwhile the last military president in Argentina's 1976-1983 dictatorship went on trial on last week on charges of kidnapping, torture and murder of 56 people in a concentration camp.
In a bid to cope with the economic crisis Brazilian president Lula de Silva is pushing a bill in Congress that would increase government control over the oil sector. Also the congress passed a bill which gives greater control to Brazil on its oil off shores. The new pre-salt oilfields are expected to cost an estimated $400 billion and could make Brazil one of the world's top ten oil exporters.
Showing its commitment to environmental preservation Brazil has promised to reduce 80 percent of the deforestation in the Amazon Rain Forest by 2020.
Mexico has reopened its embassy in the Nigerian Federal capital of Abuja. The move is aimed at improving relationship with countries in the West African region were Mexico has no diplomatic representatives.

AUSTRALASIA

Australian authorities have declared a natural disaster along parts of the country's east coast as heavy floods cut the main road linking major cities, stranding thousands of people. Also the government launched an inquiry last week into a major oil spill off the coast which has been described as one of the country's worst environmental disasters.

________________________________________________________
Business and Politics in the Muslim World (BPM)refers to the project entitled, "Globalized Business and Politics: A View from the Muslim World.' The blog development project has been undertaken and jointly developed by the Gilani Research Foundation and BPM as a free resource and social discussion tool.