2007

The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a treaty signed on December 13, 2007 at a summit in Lisbon, Portugal. It amends the existing treaties of the European Union (EU). It is due to come into force in 2009, if successfully ratified by all European Union member states, and would carry out most of the reforms previously proposed in the rejected European Constitution.

The formal title of the treaty is Treaty of Lisbon amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community. It is intended that the treaty would come into force on January 1, 2009 in time for the 2009 European elections later that year. If there is a delay in ratification pushing it beyond that date, it will come into force on the first day of the month following the last ratification.[1]

In 2005, the Constitution was rejected in referenda in France and in the Netherlands. As support by all members was required the Constitution was dropped and in July 2007 the European Council agreed a new framework that was later drafted and agreed at an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC).

The text agreed on 2007-10-19 contained many of the changes of the Constitution but would not replace the existing treaties, as the Constitution would have done, but amended them. It also dropped certain state-like elements, such as the EU flag, and guaranteed a number of opt-outs for certain states.