Counsel Magazine

THE European Council meeting in December 2008, returned to the issue of the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, and agreed concessions, conditional upon Ireland securing ratification during 2009. These include allowing each Member State to retain a Commissioner, and guaranteeing that the Treaty will not interfere with Member States’ competence on tax matters, nor on security and defence, nor, specifically, will it interfere with Irish neutrality. As of the time of reading, Ireland should be the only Member States not yet to have ratified the Treaty.