” “"The EU Commission urges the member states to ratify without delay" the Reform Treaty that was signed in Lisbon, "so it can be enforced on January 1st 2009". This was repeated by José Manuel Barroso, head of the EU Executive, one of the three speakers at yesterday’s ceremony. After the spotlights went off, Barroso said the national ratification process, which is needed to implement the Treaty, begins now. According to the EU Commission, the signing ceremony "is an epoch-making event. The Treaty will deliver important benefits to the citizens and will close the institutional debate for the next future". "Emphasis can then be placed on the problems that concern the citizens, such as growth and employment, energy and migration". The EU Executive opened a website (http://europa.eu/lisbon_treaty), which "illustrates in an easy way the political innovations and institutional reforms" that have been introduced by the new basic legislation. The deputy president, Margot Wallström, specified that the new "citizens’ initiative" covered by the Treaty will enable them, "if they reach at least one million, to ask the Commission to submit a political proposal".
