Brussels, 19/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - Encouraged by the UK's ratification of the Lisbon Treaty on Wednesday evening (see below), EU heads of state met on Thursday evening for a European Council (summit) where they were briefed by the Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Brian Cowen on why the Irish voted no on 12 June, before discussing together how to progress. This initial exchange of views only a week after the referendum was not expected to come up with any solutions, but everything seems to indicate that European leaders will call for the ratification process to continue and for a new date to be set, at the October European Council, for deciding on the approach to be taken. This will give the Irish government a few months to look at why the Irish rejected the treaty and to come up with tangible suggestions on how to solve the crisis. The October summit will be a good opportunity for discussing a scenario and detailed timetable for the future, said the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, after a meeting with Brian Cowen in Brussels a few hours before the start of the European Council. The Irish government has not yet been able to come up with any reliable lessons from the referendum, the Irish prime minister acknowledged. He told reporters it was too soon to understand the full significance of last week's referendum. Time has to be taken to assess the situation and explore possible options. It is far too early to suggest possible solutions, he added. Cowen promised that he would consult all his European partners before unveiling suggestions in a few months' time.
The prime minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, backs the idea of discussing the situation in October. He said on Thursday that he didn't believe there would be a final decision at the summit, adding that he thought the leaders should meet in October to discuss the issue. Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said the ratification process should continue and one should not push for deadlines for the moment but rather one should wait for the answers in the autumn. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is satisfied with the October deadline. Speaking at the Bundestag (German parliament) in Berlin on Thursday, she said she did not want another “reflection period”.
Although ruled out by the Irish government during the referendum campaign, the option of another referendum being held in the country is the most likely solution. Renegotiating the treaty has been ruled out - several heads of state, including Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme, made this clear again on Thursday - and virtually all governments want to keep the treaty alive (after the UK's ratification, the only country where doubts remain is the Czech Republic). When the Irish rejected the Nice Treaty in a referendum in 2001, European leaders adopted a statement at the Seville summit in 2002 to reassure the Irish that their country would retain its neutrality in military matters. The Irish then approved the Nice Treaty in a second referendum. A similar approach might be taken with the Lisbon Treaty, which would be adjusted, adding one or more statements to deal with the specific concerns of the Irish, ensuring that unanimous decision-making will continue for tax issues or reiterating Ireland's military neutrality. Barroso said that the reduction in the number of European commissioners from 2014 foreseen in the Lisbon Treaty, which also influenced the Irish no vote (Ireland would lose its commissioner) cannot be reviewed. With Cowen at his side on Thursday, Barroso said that it would be very difficult to make even the slightest institutional changes to the treaty. He said the draft treaty had been negotiated and signed by 27 member states, including Ireland, and could not be reopened for negotiation.
Relief and optimism after ratification by the UK
The British parliament ratified the Lisbon Treaty on 18 June 2008, making the UK the 19th member state to complete the ratification process. The final stage in ratification by the British was carried out on Wednesday evening when the House of Lords voted in favour. Beforehand, the Lords rejected by 277 to 184 a Tory move to interrupt the ratification process in the wake of the Irish no vote. The go-ahead from the UK, which immediately suspended its ratification process after the French and Dutch no votes on the draft European constitution in 2005, was welcomed with a huge sigh of relief in the capital cities of Europe. The Slovenian Presidency of the EU said the British vote proved that the Lisbon Treaty was still alive. The ultimate aim is still to get the treaty implemented as soon as possible, explains a Slovenian Presidency statement published on Thursday. The ratification process must therefore continue in the seven remaining member states (apart from Ireland) which have not yet approved the treaty, added the Slovenian Presidency, noting its optimism about the process. The president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, thanked the British government and parliament for their constant support for the new treaty, both during its negotiation and ratification. In a statement published on Thursday, Barroso said it was important for all EU member states to express their views on the treaty and the ratifications should therefore continue. (H.B.)