Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal News Blogs -> JURIST - The Paper Chase

Legal News

: JURIST - The Paper Chase

Germany lawmakers agree on draft law necessary for approving EU reform treaty

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] German lawmakers on Tuesday agreed to a draft law strengthening parliamentary involvement with the country's representatives to the European Union, a step toward reforms necessary to Germany's ratification of the EU's Lisbon Treaty. The draft law would require the government to fully inform the Bundestag about negotiations at the EU, and would allow parliament to issue non-binding guidance on issues before the EU. The Constitutional Court ruled last month that such a law was necessary prior to ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, despite its compatibility with the German Basic Law. The draft did not adopt a proposal by the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian affiliate of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of Chancellor Angela Merkel, to make parliamentary decisions binding on the EU delegation. The Bundestag is set to vote on the draft law on September 8, with the Bundesrat to follow on September 18. Efforts to ratify the treaty in all of the 27 member countries required for approval have met some obstacles. Although the treaty has been approved in 23 countries, Irish voters rejected the treaty last June, leading Czech President Vaclav Klaus to refuse to sign the measure, despite approval by the Czech Senate. Last July, Polish President Lech Kaczynski refused to sign the treaty despite parliamentary approval, calling it "pointless" in light of the Irish rejection. Ireland agreed in June to hold a second referendum after EU leaders agreed to certain concessions.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on August 19, 2009 (boomark / email).