The Secretary of State of European Affairs stressed today in Brussels that the main objectives of the Portuguese Presidency will be met in a “much easier and more productive” way if the 27 reach an agreement on the Reform Treaty in October.

Manuel Lobo Antunes pointed to the EU-Africa Summit, the Kosovo issue and the beginning of international negotiations to raise the use of renewable energies as some of the biggest tasks the Portuguese Presidency has until the end of the year.

“It will all be much easier and more productive if the Summit [in Lisbon] is a success”, said the Secretary of State at the end of a meeting in Belgium’s capital city, with the heads of delegations of the European Commission from all over the world.

The approval – by all Governments of the EU – of the final text of the officially named Reform Treaty during the next Summit with the leaders of the 27 countries, on 18 and 19 October, in Lisbon, presided by the Portuguese Prime Minister, José Sócrates, is “the priority of all priorities” of the present Portuguese Presidency of the Union, the third since Portugal became a member of the then EEC, 21 years ago.

The Government in Lisbon was entrusted, at the end of June, with the task of leading and finishing in record time the final negotiations for the drawing up of the future Treaty, which will put an end to the serious political-institutional situation into which the EU has sank after the impracticability of the European Constitution, with its rejection through referendums in France and Holland in 2005.

If it deserves the agreement of the 27 during the October Summit, the new EU “Fundamental Law” will be formally signed until the end of the year, also in Lisbon, the city that will also become associated with its name. Afterwards, the process of its ratification/confirmation will begin in all Member States, through referendums or the Parliament.

Lusa