Guy Verhofstadt, President of the ALDE group addressed the Presidents of both Council and Commission in a European Parliament plenary debate in Brussels today on the new prospects for full ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. Given that the outgoing Commission's term of office expires on 31st October he called on all EU institutions to commit themselves to nominating and approving the new European Commissioners as soon as possible in order to avoid a Commission without authority being unable to table key proposals on economic recovery and climate change.

"The Irish people have now sent a very clear message that they favour the European Union developing along the lines provided for in the Lisbon Treaty and acquiring the tools and capacity to act more effectively at home and abroad."

"We now need to conclude the process of ratification as soon as possible. However we cannot sit on our hands and wait for President Klaus to sign the instruments of ratification. The Commission's term of office is coming to an end and we must ensure that its successor is soon in place."

"There is no time to waste. We have already established a precedent for Council to take a political decision to nominate a candidate for President of the Commission and then formalise it at a later stage.

"If the Czech Constitutional Court upholds the latest appeal to delay ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, it could take months before the Treaty finally enters into force. European citizens who are losing their jobs, their incomes or their homes do not have the luxury of waiting so long. We must act soon. We need to approve a new College of Commissioners, preferably by the end of the year."

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For more information, please contact:
Neil Corlett: +32-2-284 20 77 or +32-478-78 22 84
e-mail: neil.corlett@europarl.europa.eu