With the Lisbon treaty finally signed, Europe can stop focusing on its own internal political structures and more on effectively governing and delivering solutions to transnational political issues.  One of the strengths of the Lisbon treaty and why I am very much in favour of it, is that it makes clear the powers and responsibilities of the nation states and the powers and responsibilities of the European Union. At the heart of this, one of the political concepts dearest to my heart and to most other Lib-dems, is the idea that decisions are made at the level they are most relevant.  In this case transnational issues such as the Environment, Competition policy, Aviation and many others are tackled at a European level as these issues are not confined to national borders and require significant cooperation.  Some powers are even being given up by the EU under the Lisbon treaty as these are seen as more the domain of the nation states.

The Lisbon treaty has created clear and more efficient decision making processes including increasing the amount of majority voting as well as giving more power within EU processes to the European parliament made up of our elected representatives – MEPs. The advent of a President of the EU and an EU high representative for foreign affairs will go a long way to enabling the EU to act as a coherent single body on the world stage acting in the interest of all the citizens of the EU.

The European project has done a great deal for citizens of the EU and will continue to do so, not least in the form of stability and economic prosperity coming from our common and integrated economies. The EU has done a great deal for the countries of Eastern Europe and this in turn has enriched the lives of every citizen of the EU.  The draw of the prosperity that comes from membership of the EU has been a spur for many former communist countries to reform both economic and social policy as well as respect for the rule of law and the democratic process, not least in the enactment of Human Rights legislation, clearly missing from some European nations still outside of the EU such as Belarus and to some extent in Serbia and other potential future members.

As a young lib-dem I was fortunate to be elected into the bureau of the International Federation of Liberal Youth with responsibility for organising cooperation events within Asia and other areas of the world.  I met other young liberal activists from all over the world and took part in training sessions with those who had recently succeeded in the struggle for democracy or were still engaged in the challenges posed by the country in which they lived. In almost every conversation, what was clear was that cooperation on the level seen in the EU is something that others strive towards because of the strength it provides.  This is something of which residents of the UK should be proud rather than afraid.