What is the Lisbon Treaty?
Let me tell you directly: the Lisbon Treaty, also called the Treaty of Lisbon, updated the regulations for the European Union. It set up a more centralized leadership and foreign policy, created a proper process for countries that want to leave the Union, and streamlined how new policies get enacted.
This treaty was signed on December 13, 2007, in Lisbon, Portugal, and it amended the two previous treaties that formed the foundation of the European Union.
Key Takeaways
Here's what you need to grasp: the Lisbon Treaty updated EU regulations by establishing more centralized leadership and foreign policy, a process for countries wanting to leave the EU, and a streamlined way to enact new policies.
It built on existing treaties but adopted new rules to boost cohesion and make actions within the EU more efficient.
The Lisbon Treaty also replaced the previously rejected Constitutional Treaty, which tried to set up a Union constitution.
Understanding the Lisbon Treaty
You should know that before the Lisbon Treaty, things were different. The treaty was signed by the 27 EU member states and officially took effect in December 2009, two years after signing. It amended two key existing treaties: the Treaty of Rome and the Maastricht Treaty.
The Treaty of Rome, signed in 1957, introduced the European Economic Community (EEC), cut customs regulations between members, and enabled a single market for goods along with policies for transporting them. It's also known as the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
The Maastricht Treaty, signed in 1992, set up the three pillars of the European Union and paved the way for the euro as the common currency. It's also called the Treaty on European Union (TEU).
While those earlier treaties laid the ground rules for the EU, the Lisbon Treaty went further by creating new Union-wide roles and official legal procedures.
What the Lisbon Treaty Changed
The Lisbon Treaty built on those existing treaties but brought in new rules to improve cohesion and streamline actions in the EU. Let me point out some important articles.
Article 18 established the protocol for electing a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. This person gets elected in or out by majority vote and oversees the Union's foreign and security affairs.
Article 21 detailed the EU's global diplomatic policy, grounded in universal human rights, democracy, and development. The Union committed to alliances with countries sharing these values and to helping third-world nations develop.
Article 50 set up procedures for a member country to leave the European Union.
Additionally, the Lisbon Treaty replaced the rejected Constitutional Treaty, which aimed to create a Union constitution but failed because members couldn't agree on voting procedures—countries like Spain and Poland would have lost voting power.
The Lisbon Treaty fixed this by proposing weighted votes and expanding qualified majority voting.
Opinions of the Lisbon Treaty
Supporters of the Lisbon Treaty argued that it improved accountability with a better checks-and-balances system and gave more power to the European Parliament, which has major influence in the Union's legislative branch.
Critics, on the other hand, said it pulled influence toward the center, creating an unequal power distribution that overlooked the needs of smaller countries.
