Parliament’s European and Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously agreed that the Lisbon Treaty should be ratified by the House of Representatives following a motion presented by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.

In a meeting on Monday night, Foreign Minister Michael Frendo said that the Lisbon Treaty, which was approved by the European Union last month, was a second attempt to make the EU stronger in a globalised world.

The treaty reflected much of what had been laid down in the EU Constitution which had failed following the “no” votes in French and Dutch referenda. The treaty was itself important for Malta because it meant that the country could have a sixth seat in the European Parliament, one more than it does at present. Malta would therefore be represented on two more committees, Dr Frendo said.

The treaty improves the concept of participation by European citizens, as it gives them the chance to initiate legislation. In this treaty, Malta would retain all the derogations it had been given during talks on the Constitution, the foreign minister said.

The opposition’s foreign affairs spokesman George Vella said the discussion was mostly a revamp of what had taken place when Malta had ratified the EU Constitution, adding that the treaty did not change things much for Malta.

It had removed anything that could be interpreted as being federalism, such as the EU flag and the hymn, but at the same time it concentrated on more important issues such as climate and energy.

The treaty gave the people a bigger role in the European process, and more importantly stressed on the sovereignty of each and every member state, Dr Vella said.

The motion presented by the Prime Minister will be discussed at plenary session next week.