text_body: --- DIVISION TITLE ---
  
  Lisbon Treaty - Clause on 'parliamentary control of decisions' to remain in the Bill
  
  --- MOTION EFFECT ---
  
  
  The majority Aye voters passed a motion[1] that confirmed the clauses on 'parliamentary control of decisions' (clause 6) and 'short title' (clause 7) should remain in the [http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2007-08/europeanunionamendment.html European Union (Amendment) Bill].
  
  Clause 6 outlines which decisions made at the European Union (EU) level would have to be approved by parliament. This mainly relates to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passerelle_Clause passerelle clauses] which enables the EU to make decisions on certain policy areas via [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_in_the_Council_of_the_European_Union qualified majority voting] rather than unanimity. 
  
  The Tories were opposed to this clause because they felt that ministers:
  
  :'in referring to clause 6, which is entitled "Parliamentary control of decisions", have tried to give the impression that what is happening here is a strengthening of parliamentary control. They refer to the fact that the House and the other place will have to vote on a motion to approve some of those changes, neglecting to point out that the status quo is that an Act of Parliament has to be passed to put through treaty changes.'[2]
  
  However, the government argued that:
  
  :'We went further in the Bill's provisions than any other Government anywhere in the European Union who are currently using the process of ratification. The Bill gives Parliament a power that is not given anywhere else in the treaty or for any of the passerelles: prior control over the Government's veto. The treaty does not give national Parliaments prior control of any passerelle decision and a parliamentary lock is set out in the treaty. The Bill also provides a parliamentary lock on six separate passerelles, which, under the treaty, have no parliamentary lock at allâ'[3]
  
  The European Union (Amendment) Bill implements the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Lisbon Lisbon Treaty] into UK law. The main aims of the Lisbon Treaty were to[4]:
  
  * Streamline EU institutions
  * Establish a permanent President of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Council European Council] (as of 16 March 2010 held by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Van_Rompuy Herman Van Rompuy])
  * Establish the post of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Representative_of_the_Union_for_Foreign_Affairs_and_Security_Policy High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy] (as of 16 March 2010 held by Catherine Ashton)
  * Give new powers to the EU over justice and home affairs
  * Remove the national veto in some areas such as energy security and emergency aid 
  
  ----
  
  * [1] [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debate/?id=2008-03-04d.1708.1 Motion on Clause 6 and 7]
  * [2] [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debate/?id=2008-03-04d.1633.6 Mark Harper MP], House of Commons, 4 March 2008
  * [3] [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debate/?id=2008-03-04d.1669.3 Jim Murphy MP], House of Commons, 4 March 2008
  * [4] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6901353.stm BBC News Q&A: The Lisbon Treaty], 5 February 2010
  
  
  
  
  --- COMMENTS AND NOTES ---
  
  (put thoughts and notes for other researchers here)
  