If you cast your minds back to the weekend – past the hungover fugue, past the Saturday night binge, keep going.. there! You may remember my wee post flagging IDAHO, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, which takes place this week.

So far, all of the Lisbon Treaty posts have been concerned with the amendments made to the TFEU. The TEU, however, is much shorter and is more broad in its terms. It deals with the over-arching principles and objectives of the EU.

Well, that “External Action of the Union” was all very much less painful than I had anticipated. I fear, however, for my sanity when it comes to the next sections: “Institutional and Financial Provisions” and beyond. With each word, a new Rip Van Winkle is born.. Anyway, here goes!

Thanks be to feck I never have to read any more jargon about the fecking Union Policy and Internal market.. This time, thankfully, we turn to External Action by the Union (Part Five of the TFEU). Although, Lisbon’s amendments inserts a whole great big part into the extisting Treaties entitled “External Action by the Union”, comprising seven sections with several sub-headings, so I’m beginning to doubt the appeal of this new topic. Regardless, the struggle continues..!

In this post, we learn about: Trans-European networks, Industry, Economic social and territorial cohesion, Research and technological development and space, Environment, Energy, Tourism, Civil protection, Administrative cooperation, Association of the Overseas Countries and Territories. Betchya can’t wait!

This part of the existing Treaties just goes on and on and on.. Given this fact, and the fact that the vote is mere days away, I’ve decided to try to avoid the riveting line-by-line approach to the Lisbon Treaty’s amendments, and opt instead for summarising. (Let’s all heave a sigh of relief..!)

Quite the snappy title, eh? Anyway, you’ll be happy to know that the section of the existing EU treaties entitled “Union policies and internal actions” is so long, that it won’t all be dealt with in this post. And this post will a wee bit lengthy as it is. Oh, the joy.. So, hold on to your hats!

Greetings, lesbians and friends! Following on from yesterday’s post which dealt with the initial parts of the Lisbon Treaty, today we’re on to the next section entitled, “Non-Discrimination and Citizenship of the Union.” Thanks be to be-jebus, this section is significantly shorter than yesterday’s. Relief all-’round, I’m sure..!

As I type this, with my papercut-ridden hands, eyelids drooping, I wonder, “What in the hell possessed me to embark upon this ridiculous project?” Last time we met, I summarised the background to the Treaty, why we’re voting again and the guarantees. Now, it’s time to really get stuck in..

This three minute motion graphic from the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) Ireland asks whether the Lisbon Treaty will help or hinder social progress in the European Union

Does anyone get a feeling of déjà vu? Didn’t we vote on the Lisbon Treaty before? You may have heard campaigners argue that nothing in the Lisbon Treaty has changed since the vote in 2008. Not a comma. Not a single sentence, word or letter. And they’re absolutely correct.

Unless you have been living under a rock, you will be aware that a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty is (again) on its merry way. I, stupidly, have decided to try my damnedest to read through the Treaty and any information I can get my grubby little mitts on, in order to try to explain to our dear readers what it’s all about. I can’t guarantee that I won’t collapse in a heap from the boredom, but I’ll do my best! Here’s the first installment..

The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, gave a speech to the European Parliament this morning where he spoke about the Lisbon treaty. In this speech he said that “Institutional things are for members of parliament, rather than referendums, it’s a political choice and perfectly democratic.” This comment got an applause from it’s audience and I have [...]