Lisbon Treaty
Departure for a renewed Europe
The Lisbon Treaty enters into force tomorrow. Greens/EFA Co-Presidents Rebecca Harms and Daniel Cohn-Bendit commented:
"The Lisbon Treaty brings a 10 year long reform process to an end. The Greens welcome this forward step in the process of European integration. The Treaty of Lisbon was the result of a long and often difficult debate on the future of Europe. It is groundbreaking and indispensable, even if it represents a great deal of compromise on many points.
The Lisbon Treaty sets the framework for increased European democracy, better decision making, higher levels of transparency and closer participation of European citizens. Flesh must now be put on the bones of this Treaty in the form of European policies that respond to the challenges of the future and live up to citizens' expectations. The Lisbon Treaty is not the end of a journey but a departure in the efforts towards a renewed Europe.
The selection process for European top jobs has shown that many EU leaders prefer to enter the Lisbon era with a timid step than a confident stride. This makes it even more critical for the European Parliament to act in a clear and comprehensible manner for the benefit of European citizens. The rights and possibilities accorded by the Lisbon Treaty also mean a greater responsibility for democracy and transparency in the EU."
