Verdrag van Lissabon

Die Verdrag van Lissabon (ook bekend as die Hervormingsverdrag) is 'n internasionale ooreenkoms wat op 13 Desember 2007 in Lissabon onderteken is en die werking van die Europese Unie (EU) beïnvloed. Die verdrag is deur alle lede van die EU bekragtig en het van krag geword op 1 Desember 2009. Die verdrag het die Verdrag van die Europese Unie (Maastricht, 1992) en die Verdrag van die stigting van die Europese Gemeenskap (Rome, 1957) gewysig.

Aansienlike veranderinge sluit die volgende in:

meer stemming per gekwalifiseerde meerderheid in die Raad van Ministers,
toename in die betrokkenheid van die Europese Parlement in die wetgewende proses deur medebeslissing met die Raad van Ministers,
tot niet making van die pilaarstelsel,
voorkoming van die bepaling in die Verdrag van Nice (2001),
'n vermindering in die aantal kommissarisse,
die skepping van 'n President van die Europese Raad (met 'n termyn van 2½ jaar) en 'n Hoë Verteenwoordiger wat 'n verenigde posisie met betrekking van EU-beleide sal verteenwoordig en
die Unie se menseregtehandves, die Handves van Grondregte, word wetlik bindend gemaak.

Die gekonstateerde doel van die verdrag is "om die proses wat deur die Verdrag van Amsterdam (1997) en die Verdrag van Nice (2000) begin is, te voltooi, met 'n blik op die versterking van die Unie se doeltreffendheid en demokratiese geldigheid, en om die samehang van sy aksies te verbeter".^[1] Teenstanders van die verdrag, soos die Britse dinktenk Open Europe en voormalige Deense parlementslid Jens-Peter Bonde, hou vol dat die verdrag die EU sal sentraliseer^[2] en demokrasie sal verswak deur die krag weg van die nasionale kiesers te neem.^[3]

↑ Oorspronklike Engelse aanhaling: "to complete the process started by the Treaty of Amsterdam [1997] and by the Treaty of Nice with a view to enhancing the efficiency and democratic legitimacy of the Union and to improving the coherence of its action." Uit die Verdrag se preambule [1].
↑ European Union Committee of the House of Lords (2008). The Treaty of Lisbon: an impact assessment. London: Stationary Office. p. 335 (S18 Q47). In the event, however, the Constitution and its successor, the Reform Treaty, pursued the centralising course that had caused the democratic deficit in the first place. Additional competences are transferred to the EU...{{cite book}}: AS1-onderhoud: gebruik authors-parameter (link)
↑ Jens-Peter Bonde. From EU Constitution to Lisbon Treaty (PDF). Foundation for EU Democracy and the EU Democrats. p. 41. ISBN 87-87692-71-6. Geargiveer vanaf die oorspronklike (PDF) op 4 September 2009. Besoek op 4 Oktober 2009. We can still have elections, but we cannot use our vote to change legislation in the many areas where the Union is given power to decide. It is a very, very long process to change an EU law under the Lisbon Treaty. The power to do this does not lie with the normal majority of voters. It also demands a great effort in a lot of countries to change a law.

[1] Oorspronklike Engelse aanhaling: "to complete the process started by the Treaty of Amsterdam [1997] and by the Treaty of Nice with a view to enhancing the efficiency and democratic legitimacy of the Union and to improving the coherence of its action." Uit die Verdrag se preambule [1].

[2] European Union Committee of the House of Lords (2008). The Treaty of Lisbon: an impact assessment. London: Stationary Office. p. 335 (S18 Q47). In the event, however, the Constitution and its successor, the Reform Treaty, pursued the centralising course that had caused the democratic deficit in the first place. Additional competences are transferred to the EU...{{cite book}}: AS1-onderhoud: gebruik authors-parameter (link)

[3] Jens-Peter Bonde. From EU Constitution to Lisbon Treaty (PDF). Foundation for EU Democracy and the EU Democrats. p. 41. ISBN 87-87692-71-6. Geargiveer vanaf die oorspronklike (PDF) op 4 September 2009. Besoek op 4 Oktober 2009. We can still have elections, but we cannot use our vote to change legislation in the many areas where the Union is given power to decide. It is a very, very long process to change an EU law under the Lisbon Treaty. The power to do this does not lie with the normal majority of voters. It also demands a great effort in a lot of countries to change a law.

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