Lisbon treaty is big step for EU but no revolution

By Timothy Heritage

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union takes an important step in its quest for more global influence when its Lisbon reform treaty goes into force on Tuesday, but any hopes the bloc will become a world superpower are a distant dream.

The treaty increases the powers of the European Parliament and make EU decision-making less unwieldy. It creates an EU president and enhances the powers of its foreign policy chief, who will oversee a new diplomatic corps.

Supporters say Lisbon lays the foundations for the EU's efforts to have influence in the new world order after the rise of emerging powers such as China in the global economic crisis.

Critics say the EU has already undermined that aim by struggling to win the backing of all 27 member states for the treaty, which took eight years to negotiate and ratify, and by choosing low-key figures as president and foreign affairs chief.

But all sides agree change will be slow. Much depends on how the EU's new leaders define their jobs in the coming years and the willingness of member governments to put European needs above narrow national interests.

"The treaty will strengthen the EU at a time when it needs strengthening and at a time when the Europeans are increasingly perceived as has-beens on the world stage," said Hugo Brady of the Centre for European Reform think-tank in London.

"Are the treaty provisions the answer to Europe's fading significance in the world? Not by themselves, no. But this ends a very damaging process of ratification that was going on, and on, and on."

Daniel Gros, an analyst at the Centre for European Policy Studies think-tank in Brussels, said there would be many good organisational changes under the treaty but the bloc would not carry more weight in international diplomacy overnight.