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The basic rulebook of the EU are treaties that have been agreed over time by consensus among all the member states. From time to time they are updated and improved. However an agreement among all the governments to replace the treaties with a single 'constitutional treaty' was voted down by France and the Netherlands in 2005, even though most countries approved it. In 2007 the heads of governments instead agreed on the content of a 'reform treaty' consisting of pratical amendments to the pre-existing treaties. This work should culminate when it has been examined and approved by the national parliaments of each member state, hopefully by Autumn 2008, coming into force on January 1st 2009.

I, along with Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, were charged with drafting the European Parliament's report on the new treaty, which was overwhelmingly adopted in February, with 525 votes in favour and just 115 votes against.

Click here to read the report

On June 12th, the Irish referendum produced a No result to the treaty.

Click here for my thoughts on what to do now.

My thoughts on the treaty

The new treaty is a good one, that will make the EU work better and allow the Union to focus on problems that affect people in thier everyday lives. Read more about the treaty in articles I have written for the media.

See all articles

Questions and Answers

There has been much myth and confusion over what is proposed for the Reform Treaty but the changes envisaged are largely pragmatic. To learn more about the deal Tony Blair agreed in Brussels check out the Labour Movement for Europe's website which has a questions and answers page on the treaty.

View questions and answers

Videos

Last Orders, ITV debate on Reform Treaty part one, part two, part three
Back at work in the European Parliament (29 August)
The EU's proposed Reform Treaty (9 July 2007)

Blogs

Click here for blogs on the Reform Treaty

Resources

The Corbett & Méndez de Vigo report on the Lisbon Treaty (December 2007)
Government White Paper on the Reform Treaty (pdf file, from the Foreign Office)
Fully Annotated Treaties pdf, with thanks to Peader ó Broin at the Institute of International and European Affairs
Full text of constitutional treaty (plain text version, 416 KB)
Searchable text of constitutional treaty (HTML version, from European Parliament website)
European Parliament's report analysing the constitution (from European Parliament website)

Articles

So Ireland has said 'No' (Yorkshire Post, June 2008)
Parliament rules need tidying up (EU Observer, June 2008)
The EU is alive and kicking (Yorkshire Post, October 2007)
The Reform Treaty should be welcomed (EU Observer, October 2007)
Reform vs more of the same - why the new EU treaty will deliver a more democratic Union (Compass, October 2007)
Ratifying Reform (Comment Is Free, Guardian Unlimited, August 2007)
Senior Tories back bulk of new EU treaty (August 2007)
The Reform Treaty will help us build a social Europe (Tribune, July 2007)
Britain and the constitution (EU Observer, April 2007)
The constitution - where now? (The Guardian, January 2006)
Blair's counsel to Europe (October 2005)
The cliché of premature demise (October 2005)
Reflections on reflections: where now for Europe? (July 2005)
Reflections on the no votes (June 2005)
Why most trade unions say yes! (March 2005)
European Socialists for the constitution (February 2005):
- in English
- in other languages: [ de ] [ es ] [ fr ] [ nl ]
Root and branch reform (January 2005)
Europe: a business case (January 2005)
Why eurosceptics should support the EU constitution (January 2005)
Evaluating the European constitution (December 2004)
A constitution for a social Europe (November 2004)

See all articles

Press releases

14 March 2008 Labour MEP hails Commons vote on the treaty
5 March 2008 Red lines beat red herrings as Commons reject treaty
5 March 2008 EU treaty debate heading to Leeds
20 February 2008 European Parliament's landslide vote in favour of Lisbon Treaty
19 October 2007 Hailing the new treaty
23 June 2007 Welcoming the Reform Treaty
6 June 2005 Labour spokesman reacts to 'no' votes
30 May 2005 Reaction to French 'non'
16 March 2005 MEPs' anger at Tory "propaganda" slur
12 January 2005 European Constitution: the battle between Reformers and Wreckers
11 January 2005 UKIP's EU-turn?
22 December 2004 Corbett makes constitution available to everyone

See all press releases

Letters

13 March 2008 Daily Telegraph - Bill Cash's treaty amendment is illogical
29 February 2008 Tribune - The treaty will help MEPs fight for a fair Europe
24 February 2008 Northern Echo - Callanan is wrong on treaty
23 January 2008 The Times - Bill Cash's claims on the Lisbon Treaty are absurd
17 January 2008 Newcastle Journal - Lisbon Treaty will help reform the CAP
26 October 2007 Scunthorpe Telegraph - The Constitution has been abandoned
18 October 2007 Scunthorpe Telegraph - The difference between a constitution and a treaty
09 October 2007 Spectator - New treaty is not self-amending
25 September 2007 The Independent - More support for the treaty
7 September 2007 The Guardian - All Labour MEPs urge Unions to back treaty
14 August 2007 Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph - Controversial elements of constitution have been abandoned
10 July 2007 Daily Mail - Roger Helmer is wrong. Again.
9 July 2007 Huddersfield Examiner - I did not contradict myself in the European Parliament
28 June 2007 Daily Telegraph - EU does not constrain Britain's Foreign Policy
27 June 2007 The Guardian - Treaty will help EU operate more efficiently
27 June 2007 The Independent - Reforms are a result to be welcomed
27 June 2007 Daily Express - A referendum is unnecessary
21 June 2007 The Independent - Conservatives were not demanding a referendum for other treaties
15 June 2007 The Times - Britain must pressure France on Strasbourg
30 May 2007 The Guardian - Constitutional Treaty is not a neocon policy
27 April 2007 Daily Telegraph - Reform of the EU is perfectly reasonable
27 April 2007 The Sun - Explaining the idea behind the Constitutional Treaty
26 April 2007 The Times -What Britain should salvage from the Constitutional treaty
25 April 2007 Daily Telegraph -Why just a referendum on the EU?
23 April 2007 Daily Mail - Constiutional Treaty does not give EU more power
31 March 2006 Yorkshire Post Britain, France and the Constitution
12 January 2006 Financial Times Views on constitution are diverse
15 June 2005 E!sharp Constitution must be revised, not abandoned
15 June 2005 Independent 25 separate agricultural policies would be a disaster
15 June 2005 Grimsby Evening Telegraph Writers express distorted views
15 June 2005 The Times Eurosceptics should focus on work to do
25 May 2005 Yorkshire Post What if France votes no?
18 May 2005 Financial Times Member states are at the helm
13 April 2005 Daily Telegraph Queen unaffected by treaty
4 April 2005 Hull Daily Mail 'Co-ordinating economic policy' means just that

See all letters

Debates

Corbett vs O'Brien (Economist, September 2007)
Corbett vs Glendening (The Ecologist magazine, May 2005)
Corbett vs O'Brien (BBC Radio 4 Today programme, 28 January 2005)

See all external links