International
EU takes its new look on tour
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-01 08:03
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Colombia's singer Shakira is welcomed by Chilean President Michele Bachelet before a meeting at the Iberia-American summit in Lisbon yesterday. Reuters |
LISBON/BEIJING: The Lisbon Treaty, ratified and going into force today, will benefit Latin American countries, Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates said on Sunday at the inauguration of the annual Iberia-American summit.
The Portuguese prime minister said the treaty will help the EU play a better role in the world and develop a better relationship with other regions pursuing an integrated globe.
In Beijing yesterday, Germany's ambassador to China Michael Schaefer was similarly upbeat, declaring it "fortunate" that the Chinese government would be the first to host an EU summit with the recently named new leadership engaged.
Schaefer said a key change in the Lisbon Treaty makes more decisions possible by a qualified majority as opposed to consensus. "So how you reach that qualified majority is now more important."
The new formula - the double majority - has been described as cementing Germany's status as the most populous country in Europe with some 80 million citizens.
In the first majority, says Schaefer, "every member has one vote, and you need at least 15 countries out of 27. The second majority (of a qualified majority) has to represent 65 percent of the EU population.
"So there, size comes in. Germany as the largest country will have heavier weight than the other EU countries. You will probably need at least one if not two of the four biggest countries to pass something."
The system gives credit to the principle of "one state, one vote - and to the principle that the largest population counts".
Schaefer said the China-EU summit in Nanjing will be important because "defining the strategic elements of our partnership deepens our relationship. These have to be spelled out in practical politics and not only in principle," he said, and such summits are the way to achieve that.
At the Iberia-America summit in Portugal, Socrates said the Lisbon Treaty will help strengthen the role of the European Union, adding that a more powerful and flexible EU means "good news" to all Iberia-America countries.
The annual Ibero-American summit gathered leaders and officials of 22 Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking countries in Latin America and Europe.
Reuters-China Daily-Xinhua
(China Daily 12/01/2009 page11)
