October 2009

The European Union's hopes of greater global clout centered on Ireland on Friday as voting started in a referendum to ratify the Lisbon Treaty.

A year ago, Irish voters rejected the treaty, a watered-down version of the constitution that was vetoed by French and Dutch voters in 2005. The treaty is designed to give the bloc stronger leadership, a more effective foreign policy and a fairer decision-making system.

Follow the link for a clear map of the E.U.

http://www.ezilon.com/european_maps.htm
27 Countries

Here are some of the main points of the 250-page treaty.

INSTITUTIONS

: EU leaders will choose a president of the European Council for a renewable 2-1/2 year term, to strengthen the system of rotating presidencies.

-- A powerful new foreign policy chief, at the head of an EU foreign service, will give the bloc a greater say on the world stage. The High Representative will answer to EU governments but also be vice-president of the European Commission and manage the EU executive's large external aid budget.

-- The Eurogroup of finance ministers of countries that share the euro single currency will be formalised for the first time and will elect a chairman for a renewable 2-1/2-year term.

-- Member states will benefit from a NATO-style mutual defence clause in the event that one of them is attacked.

-- The European Court of Justice will be given more power by being allowed to rule on whether national legislation on justice and home affairs is compatible with EU laws, except for Britain and Ireland, which secured opt-outs.

-- The European Commission, the EU's executive, will have fewer members from 2014. Each of the EU's 27 nations now appoints a commissioner but the size will be capped at two thirds of the number of member states.

-- The number of seats in the European Parliament will be increased to 751 from 736.

* VOTING: EU decision-making will continue to be based on the weighted voting system agreed in the 2000 Nice Treaty until 2014.

-- After that, voting will be based on a "double majority" system requiring 55 percent of member states representing 65 percent of the EU population to pass a decision.

-- From 2014 to 2017 any country can ask to revert to the old rules in any vote. States just short of a blocking minority may invoke a mechanism to delay EU decisions for several months.

-- The treaty allows decision-making in more policy areas by majority voting, notably in justice and home affairs. Foreign and defence policy, tax matters and EU budget and revenue decisions will continue to require unanimity.

-- Britain and Ireland won the right to opt out of closer police and justice cooperation, but not to stop other member states moving ahead without them.

-- National parliaments will be given a say in drafting EU laws. They will review draft proposals, and if one third of them reject it, the European Commission will have to change it.

*CITIZENS' RIGHTS: The treaty gives binding force to an existing Charter of Fundamental Rights in all member states except Britain and Poland, which won opt-outs.

- - Britain did not want provisions such as a broadly defined right to strike, the subject of bitter labour conflicts in the 1980s -- to be imposed on it from outside.

EU headquarter & Parliament Brussels

-- Poland's previous right-wing government said it would respect labour provisions, but it needed exemptions to ensure that in the future the EU does not force it to change its laws on family and morality, such as on abortion.

* POLICIES: The treaty introduces as objectives a common energy policy and fighting climate change.

-- The treaty introduces a formal possibility for a country to leave the EU under negotiated terms.

-- One million EU citizens may ask the European Commission in a petition to draft legislation in a given area.

* SECURITY: Increased security for all: the Union will get an extended capacity to act on freedom, security and justice, which will bring direct benefits in terms of the it's ability to fight crime and terrorism.

-- New provisions on civil protection, humanitarian aid and public health also aim at boosting the Union's ability to respond to threats to the security of European citizens.
Oct 2 (Reuters) - EU Parliament in Brussels

My Conclusion.

There is still a long way to go before the E.U. Institution become a smooth running Union of Countries. Like history has shown us century after century, every empire has it rise and decline. Are the United States declining in the eyes of the world? We are no longer in a position to lead, our credibility is chattered, our economy is to pieces, our outlook into the future grim. Our government was once the beacon of democracy and its policies were sought after as an example of Justice "by the people for the people". I feel that somewhere along the road, we became arrogant, complaisant and careless. We left Democracy behind for Capitalism, WE said yes to a war for the wrong reason, we bred man like Madeoff whose only objective was to make money regardless of who and how many he had to ruin. The ruin of the real-estate market forcing thousand of families to foreclose breaking financial institution is another sign of greed and decadence. How long before we reclaim our constitution and at what cost?