EU working just fine — so why change it?

THE Lisbon Treaty was never about making the EU work more efficiently. A study by Prof Helen Wallace of the London School of Economics showed EU institutions are working as efficiently as ever despite the increase from 15 to 27 states.

This was confirmed independently in another study by a university in Paris which found that new EU rules were adopted a quarter times faster in the years after enlargement in comparison with the two years before it.

Sensitive deals agreed on the working time directive or the unbundling of energy networks also show that tough decisions can be taken under the current arrangements. The Lisbon Treaty was intended to give a constitutional foundation to a federal superstate, and to do so by deceptive means.

In the aftermath of the rejection of the European constitution, officials at the Council of Ministers were instructed to make understanding the text of the Lisbon Treaty as difficult as possible while preserving the constitutional content entirely.

Three times now, however, European citizens have rejected this project of the political elite who would have seen their personal power greatly increased.

It is up to Brian Cowen to call for an end to the ratification process and denounce the dishonest attempts to present a constitution as a reform of EU institutions which are working quite efficiently.

John Scanlan

Sheskin

Bantry

Co Cork