EU UNITES UNDER LISBON TREATY

Lisbon treaty takes Europe into 21st century DEC 13,07

New legal framework equips EU to address future challenges and gives people a greater say.At the long-awaited signing of the new EU treaty, leaders from each of the 27 member countries put pen to treaty paper in a clear show of their willingness to take Europe into the 21st century. Fittingly, the ceremony (13 December) took place in the ornate Jeronimo monastery in Lisbon.To realise its full potential, the EU needs to modernise and reform. The new legal framework has been designed to do just that. But what does it mean in practice? Who will it benefit? And how?

The benefits will certainly include:

more democracy and openness – if a million Europeans from several countries group together, they can call on the commission to make new policy proposals (‘citizens’ initiative’). And EU intervention will be monitored to ensure it only occurs where it will attain better results than national action alone. more efficiency – decision making will be based on a double majority system from 2014(meaning that a vote can only be carried by 55% of member countries, who must represent at least 65% of the EU’s population). The EU will be able to act more swiftly in matters of law and order, rooting out cross-border criminal activities. more rights – the recently signed charter of fundamental rights, which now has the same legal status as the EU treaties themselves, will safeguard our basic human rights. more international clout – the EU will have a single legal personality, strengthening its negotiating power and making it more effective on the world stage. And a new post for foreign affairs and security policy will increase the impact and coherence of EU action abroad. Europe’s leaders have reached agreement. Now the national authorities must decide how the treaty will be ratified – whether it will be voted on by the people or by their representatives. Either way, the hope is that the new treaty will be in force by the next European elections in June 2009.
http://ec.europa.eu/news/eu_explained/071213_1_en.htm

Israeli-Palestinian talks to resume December 23: Abbas DEC 13,07

AMMAN (AFP) - Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will meet on December 23 for their second round of talks since reviving the Middle East peace process last month, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Thursday. The Palestinians are committed to make the negotiations with Israel a success. We held talks with Israel on Wednesday and agreed to meet again on December 23, Abbas said following talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman.Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and former Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qorei held talks in Jerusalem on Wednesday for the first time since the two sides agreed at US-brokered talks last month to try to reach a deal by the end of 2008.But Israel's recent decision to expand a settlement in east Jerusalem dominated the meeting and the Palestinians demanded the Jewish state halt all settlement activity.Abbas and King Abdullah agreed that Israel's plan to build more settlement violates peace principles and obstructs any political progress, a palace statement said.

The Palestinian leader's unannounced visit to Jordan comes ahead of a donor meeting in Paris on December 17 aimed at providing economic support for the peace process.The King and I discussed the conference and means to coordinate efforts to deal with it and help ease the suffering of the Palestinians, Abbas said. Palestinian officials have said they would request 7.1 billion dollars (4.8 billion euros) in economic aid at the Paris conference.Abbas meanwhile said US President George W. Bush's visit next month to the region proves that he is committed to achieving peace.He said the Palestinians were looking forward to firm US efforts particularly when it comes to Israeli settlements and advancing the peace process forward.

Rice to attend Quartet and donors meeting in Paris Wed Dec 12, 3:05PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will fly to Paris this weekend for a meeting of the Quartet of Middle East peace mediators and a Palestinian donors' conference, the State Department said on Wednesday. Rice will be in Paris on Sunday and Monday to attend an international conference on supporting Palestinian institution building and reform, steps that are regarded as vital if the Palestinians and Israelis are to make peace.The two sides on Wednesday began their first formal peace talks in seven years to try to negotiate an agreement before U.S. President George W. Bush leaves office in January 2009.U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters Rice would attend the Paris donors conference as well as a meeting of the Quartet, which includes Russia, the European Union, the United States and the United Nations.Bush hosted a peace meeting in Annapolis, Maryland on November 27 that relaunched the Israeli-Palestinian peace process that has been largely dormant during his presidency.