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1 1 (July 3, 2008)

handle is hein.crs/crsaihh0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Order Code RS21618 Updated July 3, 2008 The European Union's Reform Process: The Lisbon Treaty Kristin Archick Specialist in European Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary In December 2007, leaders of the European Union (EU) signed the Lisbon Treaty, which seeks to reform the EU's governing institutions and decisionmaking processes to enable a larger EU to operate more effectively. This new treaty represents the latest stage in a reform process begun in 2002 and essentially replaces the proposed EU constitution that foundered after French and Dutch voters rejected it in referendums in 2005. In order to avoid such risky public referendums on the Lisbon Treaty, all EU member states except Ireland decided to ratify the new treaty through their parliaments; Irish law, however, required that the treaty be ratified through a public vote. In June 2008, Irish voters rejected the Lisbon Treaty, and have thrown its future into doubt. This report provides background information on EU reform efforts and possible implications for U.S.-EU relations that may be of interest in the second session of the 110'h Congress. It will be updated as events warrant. Also see CRS Report RS21344, European Union Enlargement, by Kristin Archick. Background The European Union (EU) is a treaty-based, institutional framework that defines and manages economic and political cooperation among its 27 member states (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom). The Union represents the latest stage in a process of European integration begun after World War II to promote peace and economic prosperity in Europe. This European integration project has evolved from encompassing primarily economic sectors to include developing a common foreign policy and closer police and judicial cooperation. With the end of the Cold War, the Union has also sought to extend the benefits of membership, especially to central and eastern Europe. Ten states - Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia - joined the EU on May 1, 2004. Two other states - Bulgaria and Romania - acceded to the Union on January 1, 2007. Turkey is another candidate