When the EU brought in 12 new member states, all countries agreed that change was needed to make decision-making less bureaucratic. The Lisbon Treaty brings in the necessary changes, and allows Europe to work in new areas to bring greater opportunities to European citizens.
Don’t be put off by people who say the Treaty is difficult to understand. Our guide helps explain what your vote means.
Here’s a list of the main changes the Treaty introduces with the Treaty references to back them up.
Dealing with the Financial Crisis
Ireland can’t fight global economic forces on its own. In a global financial storm, the EU is Ireland’s safe harbour.
Member States will be encouraged to co-ordinate their responses to the financial crisis, including for instance stimulus packages. (Article 2 TFEU).
Full employment and social progress will be a Union objective (Article 3(3) TEU).
Member States will share best practise in industry. (Article 156 TFEU).
Regulation of money markets will be improved with requirements for member states to cooperate in economic policies (Article 2 TEU) and with more control by national parliaments (Article 12 TEU).
“Full employment will now be a Union objective.”
Lisbon will encourage investment from abroad and raise employer confidence by confirming our place at the heart of Europe.
Making Ireland more competitive
The roadmap to recovery.
The new deal will protect Ireland’s absolute right to set our own tax rates. (Article 115 TFEU).
The EU will promote research and development in Europe, this means the opportunity to create high-tech jobs for Ireland (Article 179 TFEU; Article 189 TFEU).
The EU will be required to prioritise funding for development in rural areas. This means more roads and broadband access in new areas (Article 174 TFEU).
More money will be invested in renewable energy – giving Ireland the chance to create thousands of jobs in green industry (Article 194.1.c TFEU). Right now, we aren’t maximising our opportunities in this area.
“Ireland will be able to create thousands of jobs in green industry.”
Public services (like healthcare, education and transport) are protected from privatisation. Member States decide which services are best run by governments. (Protocol on services of general interest).
The EU will help and support Irish tourism (Article 195 TFEU)
Crime and Justice
Modern Crime doesn’t recognise borders. Lisbon ensures our police and legal systems can cooperate across them too.
Lisbon helps Gardaí in the fight cross-border crime like:
Drug-smuggling and money-laundering: the Treaty contains concrete provisions which mean we can fight these crimes more effectively. The alternative is standing by and doing nothing to increase pressure on these criminals.
Sex-slavery: In the last two years, over 100 women and girls have been trafficked into Ireland in to be exploited in the sex industry [link]. This is a modern, global form of slavery, that is happening in our own country every day. We can only fight this cross-border problem by working more closely with other European countries The Lisbon Treaty would allow the EU to directly attack this horrific situation, where many women are held against their will and forced into sexual acts. (Article 83 TFEU)
Human trafficking:Thousands of people try to get into the EU each year, many of them drown or suffocate in the process, because people-smugglers transport them using lethal means. Voting ‘yes’ means that member-states can cooperate better on this cross-border issue, and make sure things like this never happen again. (Article 83.1 TFEU)
“Lisbon enables Gardaí to track down criminals who free Irelan’s broders.”
Ireland also has an opt-out in the area of cooperation on crime which means we can choose which laws we adopt, and which we don’t. (Protocol on the position of Ireland and the United Kingdom in respect of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice)
Keep Ireland Strong
Our elected Government representatives get more input in EU decisions.
Under Lisbon all draft EU laws will be sent to the Oireachtas to discuss publicly and decide which ones it believes are needed. Dublin votes before Brussels. (Article 12 TEU, Protocol on the role of national parliaments in the European Union).
Lisbon requires the European Council, the gathering of EU heads of state and government, to meet at least twice as often as currently (Article 15.3 TEU), to make sure it responds to our needs.
Meetings of the Council of Ministers and the European Council will now take place in public and will be fully open to scrutiny (Articles 15 and 16 TEU).
Ratifying the Treaty will provide greater opportunities for our elected representatives, in the both the European Council and the European Parliament, to speak on our behalf at the European level (Article 16 TEU).
To keep decision-making effective, the heads of government will choose a President to act as an independent umpire, seeking consensus between member states. This person will have no voting power – your elected representatives make the decisions. (Article 15.5 TEU).
“Lisbon will mean greater say for us all in EU.”
The Lisbon Treaty sets out exactly where the EU can and cannot act. Currently this line in the sand does not exist which means there is uncertainty about where EU power extends. Lisbon sets that line. (Title I, TFEU).
The Environment and Climate Change
Voting ‘yes’ commits the EU to fighting Climate Change.
We can’t solve global warming on our own. The EU has a target of reducing greenhouse gases by 20% by 2020. Lisbon provides a framework for us to do this.
Makes fighting Climate Change a Union objective (Article 3(3) TEU ; Article 21(2)(d) and (f) TEU ; Article 191(1) TFEU)
“Lisbon makes fighting climate change a fundamental objective of the EU.”
More money being invested in renewable energy – giving Ireland the chance to create thousands of jobs in green industry (Article 194(1)(c) TFEU)
It commits the EU to improve the environment, not just protect it (Article 3(3) TEU)
EU in the World
Voting ‘yes’ means Irish Neutrality is legally-protected, and allows member-states to cooperate better in peacekeeping missions and foreign-policy issues.
The 27 EU countries will be better able to work together on peacekeeping missions, on a case-by-case basis. Each country is free to opt in or out in all these missions. (Article 42(4) TEU; Article 31(1) TEU)
EU countries will only be able to use defence policy for peacekeeping, conflict-prevention and strengthening International Security, in accordance with the UN Charter. (Article 43(2) TEU)
There is no EU army, and no conscription. In the few countries where conscription happens in national armies, this is being phased out.
There will be a new position: the High Representative for Foreign Affairs. This person will speak for the member-states, but only when they all agree a common position. Any issue that the High Rep will speak on must be agreed unanimously by all the members of the Council – this means Ireland has a veto on any topic that is discussed. (Article 24(1) TEU ; Article 31(1) TEU)
“There is no EU army and no conscription.”
If Ireland suffers a natural disaster or a terrorist attack, the other EU countries are obliged to provide assistance where needed, this might include humainitarian aid. Likewise, Ireland will assist another EU state which is attacked, but only in accordance with our policy of neutrality. (Article 222 TFEU)
Democratic Reform
Voting ‘yes’ means you get a more democratic, accountable and transparent EU.
Your elected representatives in the European Parliament play a bigger role in decision-making: 40 new areas need their approval (Articles 75, 77, 78 , 79 , 81, 82 , 83, 84, 85, 87, 88 TFEU)
Direct Democracy: Voting Yes means that the EU will have to respond to a petition signed by citizens across Europe. Issues you care about will be considered. (Article 11 TEU)
All Council meetings will be in public and all laws discussed (Article 15 TEU)
National Parliaments will have a greater role in oversight of EU decisions, with a formal process for reviewing all proposals. For instance, all EU regulation will be checked by the Oireachtas. (Article 12 TEU)
“The citizens’ initiative brings in direct democracy for the first time.”
Every EU law will need to comply with the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The charter is a statement of values and principles that are already common to member states. It will only apply EU law. (Article 51, Charter on Fundamental Rights)
The Alternative:
Some people think Ireland will have to leave the EU, others think there isn’t a legal way to do this. No one knows for certain what will happen if we vote ‘no’.
Because so many other EU countries want to introduce these important changes, there is a good chance that Ireland will have to allow the other countries to move ahead and adopt the changes without us.
Legally, this is unknown territory. We think there is good reason to be worried that a second ‘no’ vote will seriously undermine Ireland’s place in the EU. It will also add to the International uncertainty about Ireland’s stability as a country. The stakes are higher this time around.
“ No one knows what will happen if we vote NO, but we know exactly what will happen if we vote YES”
We know how voting ‘yes’ will help the country and our economy. No one has shown us how voting ‘no’ helps create jobs, or a better future for Ireland.
Do you have a question on the Treaty we haven’t answered here? Tell us and we’ll find the answer for you.
Also check out our FAQ section, and if you still want more info, these sites have impartial guides to the Treaty:
