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A cut-out guide to the Lisbon "smokescreen"

• Mark Mardell
• 22 Nov 07, 09:01 AM

Perhaps a bit late, but I've just finished reading a rather fascinating document from It's called and it's a detailed, subject-by-subject forty page run-down of the Lisbon Treaty, which is due to be signed early next month.

The authors are enthusiasts for the treaty, concluding that it means that defence and foreign policy "are raised to the rank they should have had for years". They say there will be new EU policies on energy, research and civil protection, and home affairs policy (freedom, justice and security) will gain "new impetus."

They say next year may be difficult as the treaty goes through national parliaments and a referendum in Ireland and "a way will have to be found to prevent any isolated negative votes from blocking Europe again." They accept, however, that the future European Union will be much looser than dreamed of by the founding six nations.

But the Government won't like the next part. Europolitics says the blueprint for this treaty was "obscure and complex." "Make no mistake about it", say the authors, "that was its main objective." "Without a smokescreen how could Eurosceptics and federalists, proponents of and opponents to the consitution ever have been reconciled?" They go on to say that the talent of the political leaders "consisted in making extremely discreet the fact that the new treaty and the dull Constitution are like two peas in a pod."

The reason this document is such an essential read for those interested in the treaty is that there still isn't an official pull-together of all the bits and pieces that will make up the actual document that is signed by the leaders.

But, here too, help is at hand. Peadar Γ³ Broin from has done the sterling work of constructing to help the Irish public make up their minds when the vote in the referendum next year.

Have I read it yet? Er, well... There are plenty of long nights and I hope aeroplane journeys between now and 13th December.

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