19 October 2007
Gordon Brown has pointed to the future and the EU’s "new priorities" following the conclusion of the EU Council meeting in Lisbon.
Speaking at a press conference at the close of the two day summit, the PM said that the EU would now focus on "the agenda of globalisation and how to meet it" and put aside talk of institutional change "for many years".
He said:
"I believe the significance of this summit is that there will be new priorities for Europe. The Presidency will say today, with a view to decisions at the December European Council, they will consult about a new deceleration of new priorities for the European Union.
"They will say that these new priorities are the agenda of globalisation and how we can all meet it and they will say that they will consult on a declaration, ruling out further institutional change for many years."
Leaders from the EU’s 27 member states signed the EU Treaty in the early hours of this morning after some last minute talks. The deal brings to an end four years of negotiations following the abandonment of the EU constitution rejected by referendum in France and Holland in 2005.
The PM later said he was satisfied that the UK had secured its "red lines" - opt-outs on key policy areas such as security and foreign affairs - in the detail of the treaty text.
Image copyright: Reuters
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