EU Superstate and the Lisbon Treaty

Copenhagen Summit: Europeon Union Turns on U.S. and China Over Weak Emission Targets

December 8, 2009

The Times - The European Union has rejected the new carbon emission targets tabled by the United States and China and said they were much too weak to prevent catastrophic climate change.

The dispute between the three main players at the Copenhagen climate change summit overshadowed the first day of negotiations and dashed hopes that a deal on emissions was imminent.

The EU called on President Obama to announce a more ambitious target next week, when he arrives in Copenhagen for the last day of the conference on December 18.

But the US insisted that the provisional offer made 10 days ago by Mr Obama was “remarkable” and in line with what scientists had recommended.

Mr Obama has proposed to cut its emissions by 4 per cent on 1990 levels by 2020, although he has said this is subject to getting the approval of Congress. The EU has made a legally binding commitment to cut its emissions by 20 per cent over the same period. It has also said it would increase the cut to 30 per cent if other countries committed to “comparable action”.

Washington tonight attempted to demonstrate that it was serious about fighting climate change by formally announcing that green house gases were a danger to American health and paving the way for new regulations to control them. This would technically allow Mr Obama to override Congress and impose carbon cuts but, in practice, he is more likely to use the prospect of regulations as a bargaining chip to persuade enough senators to pass a Bill enforcing the 4 per cent target...

Main Points of the EU's 'Lisbon Treaty'

December 1, 2009

Associated Press - The main points of the Lisbon Treaty which aims to simplify how the 27-nation bloc will be run in the decades ahead. The treaty came into force Tuesday.

POWER AND INFLUENCE IN AN EXPANDED CLUB:

The EU will have a president for 2 1/2-year terms and a more powerful foreign policy chief who answers to the EU governments, but is a member of the European Commission, the EU executive. That person will head an extensive network of diplomats and civil servants.

DECISION-MAKING:

The treaty will mean the EU can take decisions by majority rather than unanimous voting in 50 new areas including judicial and police cooperation and economic policy. Britain and Ireland get opt-outs in judicial and police areas. Unanimity is still required in foreign and defense policy, social security, taxation and culture.

FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS:

A 50-article charter contains a list of well-established rights, such as freedom of speech and religion, but also includes the right to shelter, education, collective labor bargaining and fair working conditions. Worried by the impact on business and their legal systems, Britain, the Czech Republic and Poland obtained opt-outs.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT:

The European Parliament gets more power - especially in justice and interior affairs - to influence or reject EU legislation and trade pacts with other parts of the world. The EU assembly will have its membership capped at 751 members.