German Lisbon judgement changes the EU

The Berlin correspondent for the Irish Times, Derek Scally, writes that the judgement of Germany's Federal Constitutional Court on the Treaty of Lisbon will change the EU: "Politicians, lawyers and advisers have begun the revision of the law governing Bundestag participation in EU matters to get it passed before election day. Germany is determined not to be the last EU state to ratify. The verdict throws up interesting questions, particularly about its consequences. Will it create a new EU dialogue in the Bundestag? Will it encourage other European parliaments to demand a greater say over the transfer of competences to the EU? 'The Basic Law says Yes to Lisbon,' was the summing up of constitutional court vice-president Andreas Voßkuhle. Just as the Lisbon Treaty will change the EU, so too will this verdict. Even after ratification, the German parliament and its highest court will continue their watch."

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