The Probable Impact of the Treaty of Lisbon on the Future of EU
Author: Hung-dah Su
Abstract / Chinese PDF Download
By the end of June 2009, all Member States of the EU except Ireland hadratified Lisbon Treaty. In order to help persuade Irish people to vote for the LisbonTreaty in another referendum, the European Council adopted the formal decision on19 June 2009, which granted Ireland special immunities and rights under the Treaty.The European Council also announced the expectation that the Treaty should enterinto effect on 1 June, 2009. The new Treaty was drafted with the purpose ofcompleting vital institutional reforms, which aimed to make the EU more active inworld affairs and more democratic and efficient in its internal governance.Accordingly, this paper employs a framework of analysis based on institutionalismto analyze the probable impact of the new Treaty on both the external actions andinternal governance of the EU. In conclusion, I attempt to answer whether, and inwhat ways, the institutional reforms pushed through by Lisbon Treaty couldstrengthen EU capacities for external action on the one hand, and democratic lifeand efficiency in its internal governance on the other.