Ireland votes yes on Lisbon Accord

[SirJac]

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This marks the beginning of the new European super state.

[Causa Mortis]

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This marks the beginning of the new European super state.

So this will mean shorter lines at the airport and a few increased trade benefits, but, beyond that, is there really a significant benefit to Ireland joining up? They were already on the Euro, and were already basically a totally free trade state.

[Solus]

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This marks the beginning of the new European super state.

Hardly, unless you also see the Single European Act, the Maastricht, Amsterdam and Nice Treaties as the beginnings of the new European super state. The Lisbon Treaty is there to facilitate the functioning of the EU at 27 member states. The role of the European Parliament, for example, will be strengthened. The current cumbersome procedure to adopt the budget will be simplified plus the Parliament will no longer be left out of the decision-making process relating to the so-called compulsory expenditure. As long as about 1 percent of the EU's GDP is allocated to the EU there is no chance of a super-state being created.

So this will mean shorter lines at the airport and a few increased trade benefits, but, beyond that, is there really a significant benefit to Ireland joining up? They were already on the Euro, and were already basically a totally free trade state.

Ireland will remain out of the Schengen area. Joining it doesn't depend on the Lisbon Treaty. There are actually countries outside the EU which are member of it (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland).

Trade policy is already part of the first pillar of the EU structure so nothing will change there.

Membership of the Eurozone also doesn't depend on it though the European Central Bank will become an EU institution (I think) thanks to the Treaty. Free trade has been regulated by the Treaties of Rome in the late 1950s. A single market has been established thanks to the measures contained in the Single European Act adopted in the mid 1980s.

So why have the Irish changed their mind? To cut a long story short, they got the assurances they wanted which will be adopted by the member states when they ratify the next accession agreement (possibly with Croatia or, less likely, with Iceland).

[Ither]

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This marks the beginning of the new European super state.

I certainly hope so, but it'll still take forever.