The Lisbon Treaty

On Thursday 9 July the 28th Amendment to the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009 passed all stages in the Dáil and Seanad, paving the way for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty on Friday, 2 October.

At a special members' Convention on Saturday 18 July 2009 two thirds of party members present voted to campaign for a Yes in the referendum (214 voted Yes and 107 voted No, out of a total valid poll of 321).

Information in support of the Treaty

The following links contain more information about various aspects of the treaty and are highly recommended for members wishing to brief themselves further on the issues.

• The Department of Foreign Affairs' White Paper, designed to explain issues around the Lisbon Treaty: http://www.lisbontreaty.ie/whitepaper/
• Document on 'Lisbon: The Irish Guarantees Explained' from the Institute of International and European Affairs think tank: http://www.iiea.com/news/lisbon-the-irish-guarantees-explained-is-launched
• Ireland for Europe: the main pro Lisbon campaign group, headed by former European Parliament President Pat Cox: http://www.irelandforeurope.ie
• Website of Generation YES, a pro EU youth movement: http://www.generationyes.ie
• We Belong, a civil society campaign group targeting younger voters, http://webelong.ie
• The Business for Europe website: businessforeurope.ie

Other links of interest

• The full text of the Treaty (PDF file): http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cmsUpload/cg00001re01en.pdf
• Transcript of the National Forum on Europe plenary discussions on the future of Europe – including contributions from several Greens: http://www.forumoneurope.ie/index.asp?locID=508&docID=-1
• The website of the European Commission’s Representation in Ireland on the reform treaty: http://ec.europa.eu/ireland/lisbon_treaty/index_en.htm
• The BBC’s mini-site including a Q&A fact-sheet; a head-to-head discussion with experts for and against the treaty; an in-depth look at the treaty; and information from correspondents around Europe on the views in different member states: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6901353.stm
• Arguments from civil society and environmentalists in favour of the treaty (PDF file): http://coalitionforreformtreaty.org.uk/supporters/civilsociety_environmental.pdf
• EUObserver – a news agency covering EU affairs: http://euobserver.com/
• Brussels-based web media portal Euractiv’s page on the treaty, with links to official documents and the positions of a large number of NGOs, think-tanks, and other relevant parties: http://www.euractiv.com/en/future-eu/treaty-lisbon/article-163412
• Link to the paper on British Government’s position on the treaty, including justice and home affairs aspects (PDF): http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/CM7174_Reform_Treaty.pdf
• Policy brief from the European Policy Centre (an independent not-for-profit think tank generally seen as pro-EU) “The EU reform treaty: easier signed than ratified?” (PDF file): http://www.epc.eu/TEWN/pdf/562373347_The%20EU%20Reform%20Treaty.pdf
• Deirdre de Burca’s speech to the European Greens in Vienna on the EU reform treaty (October 2007): http://www.greenparty.ie/en/news/latest_news/the_eu_reform_treaty_quo_vadis
• Eamon Ryan’s speech to the Association of European Journalists on the Green Party and Europe (September 2007): http://www.greenparty.ie/en/news/latest_news/minister_ryan_s_speech_to_the_association_of_european_journalists
• Wikipedia’s entry on the Treaty of Lisbon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reform_Treaty