EU Leaders Endorse Reform Treaty

[Lancero]

EU Leaders Endorse Reform Treaty


Friday October 19, 2007 3:16 AM

By CONSTANT BRAND
Associated Press Writer
LISBON, Portugal (AP) - European Union leaders endorsed a reform treaty Friday to replace their failed European constitution and give the 27-nation union a more influential say in world affairs, diplomats said.
The new treaty will take effect in 2009 if it passes national parliamentary votes and referendums.
``With this new treaty, Europe has overcome an impasse that lasted for several years,'' said Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, who hosted the EU summit.
``Europe has emerged stronger from this summit, stronger to face global issues, stronger to take its role in the world and also to increase confidence in our economy and in our citizens,'' he told reporters.
The pact aims to achieve the same thing as the constitution that collapsed in 2005 when it was rejected in French and Dutch referendums: to expand the union's global influence by translating its economic might into a bigger diplomatic punch.
It will do so though quicker decision-making, more majority voting, more powers for the EU and give the bloc more power to act on global issues such as defense, energy security, climate change and migration.
Agreement on the treaty came after the EU leaders overcame last-minute reservations on minor points by, notably, Poland and Italy.
Italy won an extra European Parliament seat, while Poland held out for a complex voting formula making it tougher for large EU nations to outvote smaller ones.
``Basically Poland got what it wanted,'' Polish President Lech Kaczynski said. ``The whole operation of the EU Reform Treaty is now crowned with sucor nations to leave the EU.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he will work hard to explain the benefits of the EU treaty to an often skeptical European public. ``Our citizens want to see ... what Europe brings them in benefits to their daily lives,'' he said.


source (http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7007766,00.html)


Good, maybe now they can concentrate in the important matters - economy growt, unemployment, quality of living...

[Sharp]

i hardly see TV spots about the EU and his benefits while it would be a priority for them if they want to "educate the mass" ..

[AmandlaEwetu]

This is far to an important matter for us peasants to think about,let alone understand,leave it up to our "betters"...worry about bread and milk prices going up instead:roll:

[a_very_ex_STAB]

All hail to our wise and benificent Euro political class under whose wise and benevolent leadership the serfs will be allowed to live a useful, productive and most importantly highly taxed existence.:roll:

I must say it was nice of our treasonous political class here in the UK to ignore the 80% of the electorate who wanted the referendum on this that they were promised by all 3 of the main political parties at the last general election.

[Koen]

Too bad that we had a nice 'Constitution' ready grouping all the existing treaties one clear text. But did not make it.
Now the same people who opposed the 'Constitution' will start dragging what a mess this new text is, added to the existing ones....

And make no mistake : the EU can only do what your governments allow it to do.. it is far from a superstate. So you get the EU your local politicians want.. and if that does not work to their like, they "opt out".

So stop bitching the EU, look at your national politicians, they're the ones to bitch to.

[Thor]

This has to be approved by all the 27 member nations. However, I doubt there will be even one referendum.


Nevertheless I'm a reluctant supporter.

[Jaeger07]

Congrats too the EU.

Its a step forward IMO. Too bad the constitution didnt go through.
But then again: EU's self esteem is back with this treaty.

[Subsonic]

A good day for fascism. A dark day indeed for democracy.

[Freibier]

I, for one, welcome our new eurocrat overlordz

[Switek]

Time to choose a nice name for this new "state". I suggest:

USE or UESSR.... ;)

[Macs.]

I, for one, welcome our new eurocrat overlordz

Which would be us, because anyone knows we are planning to overtake the EU.

Heureka.

[theholeinthedonut]

I, for one, welcome our new eurocrat overlordz


Which would be us, because anyone knows we are planning to overtake the EU.

Heureka.

Make that a dozen MLRS then and also a battalion's worth of M1A2's!

[Freibier]

Which would be us, because anyone knows we are planning to overtake the EU.

Heureka.
Excellent post, I agree completely

[Switek]

Which would be us, because anyone knows we are planning to overtake the EU.

Heureka.


Excellent post, I agree completely

Here you are:

http://www.trickarna.cz/images/trika/deutschland-uber-alles.gif

[Billy No Mates]

"The new treaty will take affect in 2009 it passes national parliamentary votes and referendums",referendum?ive got more chance of getting a w@nk of the queen than getting a vote on this .

[Lancero]

Time to choose a nice name for this new "state". I suggest:

USE or UESSR.... ;)

You go and reflect on who to vote on sunday p-)

[seer]

Referendums? Who needs stinkin referendums? The gray masses do not know what they want anyways p-)

[PANKRASTIS]

Portuguese Prime Minister, Jose Socrates. I've never known anyone other than a Greek ever to have the name Socrates. Modern Europe i guess.

[Freibier]

Portuguese Prime Minister, Jose Socrates. I've never known anyone other than a Greek ever to have the name Socrates. Modern Europe i guess.
Ah come on, never heard of this guy?:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socrates_(football_player)

[AmandlaEwetu]

looks like mainland europeans are in favour but we island apes are not:hug:

[Subsonic]

looks like mainland europeans are in favour but we island apes are not:hug:

France & Holland voted 'NO' two years ago, so they're not getting a vote now.

Problem solved!

NOTHING stops The Great European Project. Nothing.

[Bert]

The EU bureaucratic behemoth, with Blair in charge?

I'm in favour of European cooperation and letting cross-border cooperation in economic and social ways become more convenient, but I don't want a centralised unelected mega-bureaucracy. I'm just glad we're not a member, seeing the direction it is taking.

[Billy No Mates]

The EU bureaucratic behemoth, with Blair in charge?

All hail president Blair!,the UK just wasn't big enough for him .

[a_very_ex_STAB]

Time to choose a nice name for this new "state". I suggest:

USE or UESSR.... ;)

Festung Europa

[Freibier]

Festung Europa
Excellent choice!

[Freibier]

Here you are:

http://www.trickarna.cz/images/trika/deutschland-uber-alles.gif
Excellent shirt!

[Switek]

Festung Europa

Ah ja... you mean Bundesrepublik Europa... could be... ;)

[Thor]

I don't really care about this treaty... However, what I don't want is them to steamroll like this when it comes to accepting Turkey into the union. I have a feeling they don't want referendums on that either....

[Laworkerbee]

Is there a copy of this constitution anywhere online and if so how long is it?

[seer]

Is there a copy of this constitution anywhere online and if so how long is it?

I do not think it is available yet but like any other EU document its probably 7000 pages long.

[Macs.]

Is there a copy of this constitution anywhere online and if so how long is it?

Draft Reform Treaty:

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cmsUpload/cg00001re01en.pdf

[Thor]

I, for one, welcome our new eurocrat overlordz
You know what, they have pretty good salaries and perks.. If the right job comes up...

[Laworkerbee]

Draft Reform Treaty:

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cmsUpload/cg00001re01en.pdf

This is a document for lawyers to discuss not a constitution, where is the "people's" constitution? You know a document so simple a Romanian farmer can understand it?

I for one find it crazy that they expect people to vote positively for this monstrosity.


170) A Title V "INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS" shall be inserted.

171) The following Article 188 shall be inserted:


9. The Council, on a proposal from the Commission or the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, shall adopt a decision suspending application of an agreement and establishing the positions to be adopted on the Union's behalf in a body set up by an agreement, when that body is called upon to adopt acts having legal effects, with the exception of acts supplementing or amending the institutional framework of the agreement.

Huh? What?

[Laworkerbee]

Look at the preamble :cantbeli:

The Constitution of the United States of America

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

VS

1) The preamble shall be amended as follows:

(a) the following text shall be inserted as the second recital:
"DRAWING INSPIRATION from the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe, from which have developed the universal values of the inviolable and inalienable rights of the human person, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law,";
(b) In the eighth recital, the words "of this Treaty" shall be replaced by "of this Treaty and of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,";
(c) In the twelfth recital, the words "of this Treaty" shall be replaced by "of this Treaty and of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,".

Europeans deserve something better than this crap.

[seer]

...
I for one find it crazy that they expect people to vote positively for this monstrosity.



Vote? Do you think anybody is going to get to vote on this? Dreams of a cut off head. as an old Polish proverb sez.

[Thor]

^^Laworkerbee

The following 151 pages clearifies it more than well. What's the problem?

[Macs.]

Yeah, I don't really see a problem either. The US constitution is a bit older and obviously was made in a time when things were more simple. I don't think you can compare these two.

Anyway, I am happy Europe/the EU is moving forward. Of course it will not always be easy, but this is a very big step. We should not forget that we are talking about a Union with 27 member states and almost 500 Million people here.

[muttbutt]

This is a document for lawyers to discuss not a constitution, where is the "people's" constitution? You know a document so simple a Romanian farmer can understand it?

I for one find it crazy that they expect people to vote positively for this monstrosity.


The word "constitution" freaked too many people out, that and the World and the EU is slightly too complecated for something as wonderfully simple and to the point as the US constitution now:|

[Laworkerbee]

Yeah, I don't really see a problem either. The US constitution is a bit older and obviously was made in a time when things were more simple. I don't think you can compare these two.

Anyway, I am happy Europe/the EU is moving forward. Of course it will not always be easy, but this is a very big step. We should not forget that we are talking about a Union with 27 member states and almost 500 Million people here.

I think you should conquer Europe and then write its constitution; much easier that way.

[Grimner]

I think you should conquer Europe and then write its constitution; much easier that way.
Should have thought about that 60 years ago then.
But noooo you just had to go fight ze nazis.

[Thor]

Sarcasm apparently doesn't work here.

[joka]

This is a document for lawyers to discuss not a constitution, where is the "people's" constitution? You know a document so simple a Romanian farmer can understand it?

I for one find it crazy that they expect people to vote positively for this monstrosity.

Perhaps, but legally the EU is some sort of international organization of independent member states, not a union of the people. Which is messed up, I agree. An US style institutional set up and constitution would make the EU more democratic, simpler, transparent and streamlined, but then it would also make it a state.

You have to realize that the EU is a evolving compromise between being an international organization and a federation. Instead of agreeing once and for all what the EU should be, we limp from one crisis to another. The EU is an anomaly.

Anyway, shame that we now have an even more complex EU that is based on 5 treaties as opposed to 1 constitution, but good that something got approved. It's up to the Irish now.

[Nansouty]

That's just Sarko betraying us... I pray wegive that crook another divorce in 2012, this time from the Presidecy. A bas Sarkozy!

[Switek]

De facto the signed paper is a constitution to be implemented via back doors... The name of the treaty is a secondary matter (European Constitution sounds bad... ;))

I can't imagine that me and some mp.net members will belong to the same superstate rofl...

;)

[IronFinn]

Which would be us, because anyone knows we are planning to overtake the EU.

Heureka.

I, for one, welcome our new german eurocrat overlordz.

*bows*

[IronFinn]

Here you are:

http://www.trickarna.cz/images/trika/deutschland-uber-alles.gif

As a loyal subject I want one.

[daily666]

Who needs a constitution anyway. UK managed without it for so many decades and now they got it while not being able to say anything. All hail the EU! :)


De facto the signed paper is a constitution to be implemented via back doors... The name of the treaty is a secondary matter (European Constitution sounds bad... ;))

I can't imagine that me and some mp.net members will belong to the same superstate rofl...

;)


It iz ze secret German plan to conquer USA, just now they are going to do this with our hands too ;)

[Freibier]

It iz ze secret German plan to conquer ze World, just now they are going to do this with our hands too ;)
fixed it for ya

[Stonewall71]

Portuguese Prime Minister, Jose Socrates. I've never known anyone other than a Greek ever to have the name Socrates. Modern Europe i guess.


i would love to send him to you, one way ticket, rest assured....

[daily666]

fixed it for ya

I'm going wiz you on this one :D

[Stonewall71]

"The new treaty will take affect in 2009 it passes national parliamentary votes and referendums",referendum?ive got more chance of getting a w@nk of the queen than getting a vote on this .


we, the people, are by definiton STUPID, so the "mastersW have choosen for us....

ONE MORE SAD DAY to Europe....:-(

[Subsonic]

I think the EU should rename itself 'EUrasia' after one of totalitarian superstates in George Orwell's book '1984'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasia_%28Nineteen_Eighty-Four%29


Yeah, I don't really see a problem either. The US constitution is a bit older and obviously was made in a time when things were more simple. I don't think you can compare these two.

On the contrary, I think you have to compare the two. The brevity and simplicity of the US Constitution is what makes it so practical. It has changed little, despite the huge changes the USA has undergone.


Anyway, I am happy Europe/the EU is moving forward. ..off a cliff.


Of course it will not always be easy, but this is a very big step. Mmmm yeah, I'm still seeing a big cliff.


We should not forget that we are talking about a Union with 27 member states and almost 500 Million people here.Well I know at least 60 million who don't want a part of it.