Brussels, 19/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - Any proposal to amend the treaties can only result in delay, MEP Alain Lamassoure (EPP, France) said in an interview with Agence Europe on Wednesday 19 October. It took 10 years to go from the Treaty of Nice to the Lisbon Treaty, he pointed out. If significant amendment of the treaty (extending the areas of EU responsibility, or changing EU decision-making procedures) is sought, “it must be realised that, between the time a proposal is tabled and when it comes into effect, it will take seven eight or even ten years”. This does nothing to address urgent needs - or, indeed, medium-term problems - in his opinion. The Lisbon Treaty will have to be amended, but this will only be possible once it is accepted that, with 27 countries (soon to be 28 with the accession of Croatia), “we will never again have unanimity of ratification. There will always be one country which, for domestic political reasons, will, at one time or another, say no”, Lamassoure argued. “Any significant alteration to the Lisbon Treaty will need political agreement among the member states that the treaty can be amended even if two of three disagree”, he stated. (LC/transl.rt)