Malta has had cause to extend it thanks to Ireland on two occasions – once when its electorate voted against the Lisbon Treaty in 2008, and again for yesterday’s vote in favour of the treaty.

When Irish voters rejected the EU’s hard-fought treaty in a referendum the first time around in 2008, a thank-you to Irish voters would have been in poor taste, considering the mood prevailing in Brussels at the time.

But following the ensuing negotiations, the initial Irish ‘no’ vote actually turned out to be something of a blessing in disguise for Malta.

As a result of wrangling by the Irish government after the first referendum results, not only will Malta still be granted an additional sixth seat in the European Parliament, but it will also keep hold of a permanent commissioner in Brussels, which had been at stake in the version of the treaty rejected by Irish voters.

Ireland was the only EU member state which, according to national legislation, was required to hold a referendum on the treaty, aimed at reforming and streamlining the way the EU functions, following the bulky addition of 12 new states since 2004. More members, meanwhile, are still to come.

When Irish voters rejected the landmark treaty in June 2008, the EU, Malta included, issued a collective sigh of dismay. Yesterday we all sighed a collective sigh of relief, and Malta, once again, has cause to thank Ireland after Friday’s near landslide victory for the ‘yes’ camp.

Specifically in Malta’s case, the additional sixth European parliamentary seat it was to be granted through the treaty’s considerable shake-up of the numbers of MEPs manning the EU’s lawmaking body had been at risk in the wake of the first Irish vote of disapproval.

But EU leaders’ determination to see the treaty through to fruition, and their willingness to render it more palatable for Irish voters, saw them agreeing to bend to suggestions made by the Irish government.

As a result of the Taoiseach’s suggestions tabled in December 2008, the end compromise saw Irish voters receiving legal guarantees on taxation policy, social and ethical issues and the Common Security and Defence Policy with regard to Ireland’s traditional policy of neutrality, among other provisions.

In exchange, Ireland committed itself to staging a second referendum by the end of the current Commission’s term.

What is of primary importance to Malta was the Irish demand that the EU does away with the treaty’s provision of trimming down the size of the EU Commission by two-thirds of its current complement – or from 27 to 18 commissioners – with member states being allotted a commissioner on a rotating basis. Malta had stood to lose out on its commissioner in the first rotation and, as such, lose an important element of its voice in the heart of Europe’s capital.

But there is a whole lot more to the Lisbon Treaty than the mere numbers of commissioners and MEPs. It aims to overhaul the way the bloc functions and to considerably streamline that functioning to the benefit of its member states.

The Lisbon, or Reform, Treaty is intended to replace the failed bid to establish a European Constitution, which fell through in 2005 after Dutch and French national referenda nixed the notion.

The new charter drafted by EU leaders essentially represents a scaled down version of the failed bid for an EU constitution and has dropped a number of symbolic initiatives such as the establishment of an EU flag and anthem, which many feared would have contributed toward the emergence of an EU super state.

The treaty is aimed at streamlining the EU’s 50-year-old rules of procedure and to bolster its position on the world stage. The treaty reforms many of the ways in which the EU is run, considering the enormous growth of the union since 2004.

The size of the European Parliament is also being cut down from the current 785 to 751 MEPs. Although the EP reform spells out a reduction in representation for 17 member states, it also sets a minimum of six seats per member state – as such raising Malta’s MEP quota from the current five to six, an additional seat that will soon be warmed by Labour MEP candidate Joseph Cuschieri, who had vacated his own Maltese parliamentary seat to make way for the then newly appointed opposition leader Joseph Muscat, who himself had relinquished his own MEP seat when elected PL leader.

In 2014, the so-called double majority voting system will come into force, replacing the unanimity requirement in 50 areas including judicial and police cooperation, education and economic policy, although the UK and Ireland managed to broker opt-out agreements in judicial and police matters.

Instead of the present unanimous vote requirements, decisions will be passed only if 55 per cent of member states, representing more than 65 per cent of the EU’s 490 million population, are in agreement. Unanimity will, however, still be required in the areas of foreign and defence policy, social security, taxation and culture.

National parliaments will also be given more oversight powers of EU legislation, while the European Parliament has also been given more powers to modify or reject proposed EU legislation.

The EU, through the treaty’s provisions, will have a president who would preside over EU summits and represent the EU abroad – replacing today’s system in which EU leaders rotate the post every six months.

It also establishes a more powerful EU foreign policy chief, who will be a member of the Commission but answerable to member states. The individual will have control of the EU’s enormous network of civil servants and diplomats, as well as of the EU’s aid budget.

Addressing environmental issues, the treaty raises the fight against climate change, as well as energy, to formal EU policy areas.

The treaty also makes it possible for member states to leave the EU if they should choose to do so, and also provides that if one million petition signatures requesting EU law in any specific area are collected, the Commission would have to oblige by drafting legislation.

The EU’s charter of fundamental rights will also become legally binding across 25 member states, with the exceptions of the UK and Poland. The 50-article charter comprises a comprehensive list of rights including freedom of speech and religion, as well as the rights to shelter, education, collective labour bargaining and fair working conditions.

Once again, thank you Ireland.