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Article: Roundup: Bumpy year for European integration
- Article from:
- Xinhua News Agency
- Article date:
- December 25, 2008
CopyrightCopyright 2008 Xinhua News Agency. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Roundup: Bumpy year for European integration
BRUSSELS, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The passing year has been an "annus
horribilis" for European integration as the "no" vote by 860,000
Irish voters in June 2008 derailed the Lisbon Treaty, which was
designed for 490 million European Union (EU) citizens.
To make it worse, the subsequent financial crisis hijacked the
agenda of EU leaders, who had decided to revisit the treaty impasse
at an informal summit in October, making its entry into force
impossible before European Parliament elections.
When EU leaders signed the Lisbon Treaty in December 2007, they
had hoped that the treaty can be ratified by all 27 member states by
the end of 2008 so that its ...