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    LISBON, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Heads of state and government of the European Union (EU) member states on Thursday signed the Lisbon Treaty, which they hope can make decision-making more efficient.

    Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt was the first to put his name on the treaty.

    In a speech prior to the signing ceremony, Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, whose country holds the EU presidency, said the treaty will take the European project one step further and make the EU stronger.

    "This is not a treaty for the past. This is a treaty for the future, a treaty that will make Europe more modern, more efficient and more democratic," he said.

    Socrates said the treaty will also create conditions for the EU to have its voice heard in the world.

    European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said, "From an old continent, a new Europe is born."

    With this treaty, the EU is preparing itself to serve its citizens better and address world issues, he said.

    The Lisbon Treaty, which replaces the failed EU Constitution, provides for far-reaching changes in the EU's institutions and decision making mechanisms.

    It creates the post of a long-term president of the European Council, which comprises heads of state and government of the member states, in place of the current six-month rotation by member states.

    The European Commission, the EU's executive body, will be downsized, with the total number of commissioners to be two-thirds of the 27 member states, instead of each appointing a member to the commission.

    The commission's president will have more powers under the treaty.

    A new post of the EU foreign policy chief will be created, which combines the duties of present foreign policy chief Javier Solana and EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

    To improve decision making, a double majority voting system -- approval by at least 55 percent of membership and at least 65 percent of the bloc's total population -- is introduced to the Council of the EU, a decision-making body composed of ministers from member states.

    Except for certain areas where unanimity is still required, policy will come out through the double majority voting system, notably in justice and home affairs.

    The treaty for the first time contains a clause to allow a member state to leave the union. It also creates a legal personality for the EU.

EU leaders arrive for signing of Lisbon Treaty

    LISBON, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Heads of state and government of the European Union (EU) member states arrived on Thursday in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon for the signing of a treaty named after the city.

    The signing ceremony will be held at the magnificent Jeronimos Monastery, a 16th century structure that was named a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. 

Interview: All eyes on Ireland for fate of Lisbon Treaty

    BRUSSELS, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- All eyes are on Ireland for the fate of the Lisbon Treaty as it is the only country that will hold a referendum on the text, said an expert with a think tank on European Union (EU) policies.

    The Lisbon Treaty, which is to be signed by EU heads of state and government in Lisbon on Thursday, must be ratified by all 27 EU member states before it enters into force. 

Chronology: key developments leading to Lisbon Treaty

Leaders of the 27-European Union (EU) members prepare to have group photos taken in Lisbon, capital of Portugal, Oct. 18, 2007. EU leaders reached an agreement on the landmark reform treaty in the early hours of Oct. 19, which introduces sweeping changes to the 27-nation bloc's institutions and seeks to simplify decision-making. Leaders of the 27 EU members began an informal summit in Lisbon on Oct. 18, aiming at concluding negotiations on a new EU treaty designed to replace the defunct EU constitution.
(Xinhua/Chen Haitong)