Introduction to Gordon Brown's statement on the Treaty of Lisbon

Gordon Brown has little positive to say about the new treaty. His main boast is that the UK will not be forced to be part of what most EU leaders have agreed to. But the UK is far from alone in having special concessions.
We are left wondering why the new treaty is so important or so urgent and why it has taken six full years of debate, heart searching and hand-wringing to achieve so little.
In fact its achievements are minimal and its failure to address major issues is unacceptable and astonishing. These matters are discussed elsewhere on this website and at length in The European Union and You.

Gordon Brown's statement to the House of Commons 17 December 2007

"I can tell the House also that today we are publishing the EU Amendment bill [To approve The Reform Treaty, also known as The Treaty of Lisbon] which contains the institutional changes to accommodate a Europe of 27 members and will include the safeguards we have negotiated to protect the British national interest:

• the legally binding protocol which ensures that nothing in the Charter of Fundamental Rights challenges or undermines the rights already set out in UK law - and that nothing in the Charter extends the ability of any court, European or national, to strike down UK law;

• legally binding protocols which prescribe in detail our sovereign right to opt-in on individual justice and home affairs measures where we consider it in the British interest to do so, but alternatively to remain outside if that is in our interests;

• a declaration that expressly states that nothing in the new Treaty affects the existing powers of Member States to formulate and conduct their foreign policy and that the basis of foreign and security policy will remain intergovernmental, a matter for governments to decide on the basis of unanimity;

• and an effective veto power on any proposals for important changes on social security so that when we - Britain - determine that any proposal would impact on an important aspect of our social security system - including its scope, cost or financial structure - we can insist on taking any proposal to the European Council under unanimity.

With the publication of the Bill that legislates for the amendments to the European Communities Act, Parliament will now have the opportunity to debate this amending treaty in detail and decide whether to implement it.

We will ensure sufficient time for debate on the floor of the House so that the Bill is examined in the fullest of detail and all points of view can be heard.

This will give the House the full opportunity to consider this treaty, and the deal secured for the UK, before ratification.

In addition, I can tell the House that we have built into the legislation further safeguards to ensure proper Parliamentary oversight and accountability.

To ensure that no government can agree without Parliament's approval to any change in European rules that could, in any way, alter the constitutional balance of power between Britain and the European Union, there is a provision in the bill that any proposal to activate the mechanisms in the treaty which provide for further moves to qualified majority voting - but which require unanimity - the so-called "passerelles" - will have to be subject to a prior vote by the House.

In the event of a negative vote, the Government would refuse to allow the use of the passerelle.

The Bill also includes a statutory obligation that any future EU amending treaty - including one which provided for any increase in the EU's competence - would have to be ratified through an Act of Parliament ---- so Parliament would have absolute security that no future change could be made against their wishes.

I said in October that I would oppose any further institutional change in the relationship between the EU and its member states, not just for this Parliament but for the next. I stand by that commitment.

And this is now also the settled consensus of the EU.

All 27 member states agreed at the Council - and this was expressly set out in the conclusions - that this amending treaty provides the Union with a stable and lasting institutional framework and that it completes the process of institutional reform for the foreseeable future.

The conclusions of the Council state specifically that the amending treaty 'provides the Union with a stable and lasting institutional framework. We expect no change in the foreseeable future'. "

[END OF QUOTATION]

-----------------

Gordon Brown also made these comments to Parliament on the Council Meeting in Brussels of 14 December 2007.

Enlargement of the European Union

"The conclusions of the meeting of European Foreign Ministers last week reiterated the European Union's support for enlargement more generally - and we also look forward to recognising the progress made by both Croatia and Turkey at this week's Accession Conference in Brussels."

Services directive and market liberalisation

"We agreed to maintain our focus on economic reform, with a renewed focus on modernising the single market so it enhances the EU's ability to compete in the global economy. We must have full implementation of the services directive by 2009 and we must continue to work towards further liberalisation in the energy, post and telecoms markets."