Speech by the Portuguese Secretary of State Assistant to the Minister and for European Affairs at the European Parliament (pdf format)
The president of the Assembly of the Republic and the secretary of state for European affairs highlighted today, in Brussels, the increase of powers for national parliaments, anticipated in the Treaty of Lisbon, which will be signed next week in the Portuguese capital.
«National parliaments are winners with this Treaty», said Jaime Gama at the beginning of a parliamentary meeting on the future of Europe, co-organised by the European Parliament and the Assembly of the Republic, under the Portuguese presidency of the EU.
The Treaty of Lisbon anticipates an «increase in the role» of national parliaments, and European institutions now «must» take their opinions into consideration.
The secretary of state for European affairs, Manuel Lobo Antunes, also made this observation, referring to the «reinforcement» of powers of national parliaments in budgetary matters and in the negotiation of international agreements.
Vitalino Canas (PS), deputy at the Assembly of the Republic, Alcídia Lopes (PS), president of the Commission for European Affairs, Regina Bastos (PSD), member of the Commission for European Affairs and José Hélder do Amaral (CDS-PP), member of the Commission for Foreign Affairs and Portuguese Communities were also present at the meeting on «The Treaty of Lisbon: the new foundation for the future of the EU».
During the closing session of the parliamentary meeting on Tuesday, Rui Pereira (minster for home affairs), as representative of the Portuguese presidency of the Council of Ministers of the EU and José Manuel Durão Barroso, president of the European Commission will be making speeches.
The heads of state and government of the EU, gathered in the Portuguese capital on 18 and 19 October, reached an agreement on the final text of the future Treaty of Lisbon, which will be signed on 13 December.
The 27 Member States will then begin the ratification process of this treaty, which must be concluded before its entry into force in 2009.