The reforms articulated by the Lisbon Treaty strengthen democracy at both the Irish and European level. They provide for the retention of an Irish commissioner, a more democratic, effective and cohesive Union legislative process, more power for our Irish MEPs and greater input into EU lawmaking at the national level.
Lisbon means we keep our commissioner. Many Irish people were rightly concerned about the loss of Ireland’s commissioner at the time of the last referendum. For a small country like Ireland, this was a big concession. This time around, the guarantees won by the Irish government mean that we must vote Yes to keep our commissioner. If we vote No we will lose this right. There is a simple reason why this is the case: under the current rules, the first Commission to be appointed after the number of member states reaches 27 has to be reduced to less than the number of member states. We reached that number in 2007. However, the new Article 17.5 TEU of the Lisbon Treaty allows the European Council, acting unanimously, to alter that number. Our government fought for and achieved this unanimous agreement. This means that unless we pass Lisbon, we lose our right to a commissioner. Former Irish commissioners like Peter Sutherland and Patrick Hillery have served Ireland well in the past. Passing Lisbon will keep our place at the table.
In a rapidly changing world, Europe has to be able to make decisions quickly. Under Lisbon, the European Council - the gathering of the heads of states or governments of all Member States and the President of the Commission - will meet twice as often as they currently do (Article 15.3 TEU). This means that problems like the financial crisis will be dealt with quickly, decisively and democratically. It means that there will be more opportunities for our elected representatives to speak on our behalf at the European level, and because the Council will now meet in the open, therefore a greater say for us in EU policies. The changes in Lisbon are not about changing the way that Europe makes decisions. Yet the financial crisis has shown us that now, more than ever, Europe needs to be able to rise to the world’s challenges.
Voting Yes will also mean that your MEPs can serve you better. Forty new areas need the approval of our directly elected European representatives under the co-decision procedure (Article 294 TFEU). This means the agreement of both the Council and Parliament is required for a proposal to become law. Under Lisbon the Parliament gains substantially increased powers, and is placed on an equal footing with the Council. This means that more power goes directly to Mairéad McGuinness, Proinsias de Rossa, Marian Harkin, Brian Crowley, Joe Higgins and the other MEPs who answer to YOU.
However, our MEPs are not the only Irish representatives who are empowered by Lisbon. National parliaments are granted an expanded role in the legislative process of the EU by the Treaty (Article 12 TEU; Protocol on the role of national parliaments in the European Union). Under Lisbon the Dáil is given greater powers of scrutiny and a longer time period to examine draft EU legislation. All draft EU laws will be sent to the Oireachtas to discuss publicly. The Treaty also enables Ireland to bring actions to the European Court of Justice when it thinks Europe is legislating in areas it is not entitled to. The EU may only make laws where the action of individual member states is insufficient (Article 8 Protocol on Subsidiarity).
Lisbon delivers clarity by laying out exactly where the EU can and cannot act. At the moment there is no clear line in the sand beyond which EU bodies cannot act; Lisbon draws that line in a way agreed by all the states. Article 5 TEU states that the Union shall only act within the limits of competences conferred on it by the Member States. These specific areas of competence are laid down in Title I of the TFEU and provide much needed clarity for national parliaments for determining whether the EU seeks to act beyond its jurisdiction. This major reform enables the Oireachtas to act more effectively in keeping Union bodies in check if it considers this necessary.
Voting Yes brings the Union closer to ordinary people. The Treaty obliges the Union to respond to a petition signed by a million people across Europe (Article 11 TEU). Petitions have long played an important role in activism through the work of organisations such as Amnesty International. In the age of Facebook and MySpace, it has never been easier for people to come together on an important issue. It also means that we don’t always have to rely on the politicians to take the first step: we can act ourselves on the things we care about. This provision has the potential to transform democracy in Europe by ensuring that everyone has a voice.
The Lisbon Treaty’s provisions provide greater power to our elected government representatives, to our directly elected European Parliament representatives and also, to us, Irish people. Lisbon now represents a better deal for the people of Ireland; it ensures an Irish voice at the table, it enables more effective decision-making, more coherent policy programs and greater scrutiny and examination of European decision-making. Of all the reasons to vote YES to Lisbon, we think that the improvement it makes to the quality of our democracy is one of the best.
If you want a strong Ireland in Europe, and a strong Europe in the world, Vote YES on October 2nd.
