Agreement reached on EU reform treaty
Agreement is reached in Lisbon, but the battle ahead for Brown is just begining.
Friday, 19, Oct 2007 12:00
European leaders have agreed the terms of the new EU reform treaty in Lisbon this morning.
A deal was struck at around 2am, after last minute objections from Italy and Poland were overcome.
Although the political agreement has now been reached, formal signing will take place in December, after which it will become known as the Lisbon Treaty.
Following this, a detailed parliamentary ratification process will ensue, where 26 member states will present the reform treaty to their respective parliaments for discussion, and is expected to be in place by January 2009.
Ireland – the 27th member state – will not submit the treaty to parliament, because it is constitutionally mandatory there.
Last night, Gordon Brown held a press conference in an attempt to clarify his reasoning for repeatedly refusing to hold a referendum on the amended treaty.
The prime minister said: "At every point, we have been determined to protect the British national interest.
"I believe if we can succeed in the decisions that are to be made on the amending treaty, then it will then be possible for Europe to move on.
"To move from inward looking institutional change, to deciding the role that it can play, not just in the global economy, but in global society."
Mr Brown maintained the core British "red lines" had been preserved, saying justice, home affairs and foreign policy decisions would all be determined by Britain, and an emergency break or, in some case, veto power had been secured for social security matters.
Also, a protocol has been achieved on the Charter of Human Rights, which means matters are not justicable in British law.
The Conservatives have been vociferous in demanding a public vote on the treaty – which they claim is "substantially equivalent" to the constitution that was abandoned in July when French and Dutch voters rejected it.
They have been supported by several leading papers, including the Sun and the Telegraph, which have launched public campaigns for a referendum, and claim the vast majority of the British public want to be given the right to decide on the agreement.
Today the Sun accused the government of an "act of betrayal".
Collectively they argue that Labour promised a referendum in their 2005 election manifesto, and should therefore honour this commitment.
However, Labour contend they only promised a referendum on the EU constitution - which has now been abandoned - and not the reformed treaty.
They insist it is a parliamentary matter.
The prime minister reiterated this again last night, saying: "Why do I say that this should then go to parliament for a very detailed discussions by members of parliament?
"Because it is no longer a constitutional treaty, it's an amending treaty."
Asked why the treaty was necessary, Mr Brown said: "The reform treaty is necessary because we've now got a Europe of 27, and much of institutional arrangements were for a Europe of six, and then 15, and then gradually getting bigger. The purpose of a reform treaty is really to accommodate institutional arrangements for a Europe of 27."
The prime minister outlined what he perceived to be the beneficial outcomes of the reform treaty, saying jobs, prosperity, environmental security, and security against terrorism would all be bolstered as a result.
He assured that if a decision had to be made on the Euro, there would be a referendum.
The government now face the difficult task of trying to communicate the intricacies of the treaty in a meaningful way to the public, against a torrent of pressure from opposition politicians, backbenchers and members the media.