A 15-page treaty?

Along similar lines a 15-page treaty would fail to fully address in a comprehensive manner the issues of most concern to Irish citizens. Today's Irish Times quotes Martin Territt, Head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland as saying "Without the Lisbon Treaty, EU action will be hamstrung by heavier procedures and less clarity about what we can or cannot do. That means a less effective response on issues Irish and other EU citizens in general care about. Ironically, the Lisbon Treaty would also have addressed the fears about erosion of sovereignty. It would have delineated the competences of the EU versus those of member states and made the frequently talked about 'competence creep' less likely in the future. It would also have improved democracy and ensured more involvement of citizens in decision-making".