Statement by Jos Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission on the approval of the Treaty of Lisbon by the Estonian and Finnish Parliaments

Statement by José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission on the approval of the Treaty of Lisbon by the Estonian and Finnish Parliaments 11-06-2008 The European Commission congratulates Estonia and Finland on the approval of the Treaty of Lisbon by their Parliaments today. I would like to personally thank the two governments and their respective Parliaments for the constant support and commitment to the new Treaty. The European Union will be stronger and better equipped to serve its citizens in the face of today's global challenges with the Treaty of Lisbon. The Treaty has now been approved by seventeen member states. The two votes today send a strong signal, confirming the desire for the Treaty to be ratified in good time to enter into force by 1 January 2009. This would allow the Union to turn the institutional page and concentrate one hundred percent on delivering on the expectations of Europe's peoples.