Brussels 8 September 2009 - German MPs today voted through legislation giving them the power to vote on any changes to the Lisbon Treaty or expansion of EU competences that might have an impact on German sovereignty. The new legislation is  in  response to the German Constitutional Court ruling from Karlsrühe stating that the EU was not sufficiently democratic and needs to be brought closer to the people. Adopting this legislation will be the final part of German ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, which proved to be a surprising stumbling block for the ratification process for the rest of the EU.

 

The Treaty was supposed to be in force by January of this year, but still has to wait for the outcome of the Irish referendum as well as for the Presidents of the Czech Republic and Poland to formally sign it.

 

Conservative MEP Syed Kamall who is the Vice-Chairman of the European Parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee said:

 

"The German court ruling and resulting legislation confirmed  that a democratic deficit exists in the EU, 

 

"If  the German Parliament is to be consulted on  changes to the Lisbon Treaty, then the British Parliament should  also be granted the same right "

 

"Having denied the Britsh people referendum on the Lisbon Treaty,  I call on the government to assert Parliament's sovereign right to be consulted on any further treaty changes."