Treaty of Lisbon (No. 4) — (4th Allotted Day)

Part of Business of the House (Lisbon Treaty) (No. 3) – in the House of Commons at 1:28 pm on 6 February 2008.

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Photo of John Hutton John Hutton Secretary of State, Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 1:28, 6 February 2008

I will give way to the hon. Member for Hertsmere in a few moments, but I am anxious to make some progress with my speech.

Articles 85 to 93 of the original treaty of Rome of 1957 stipulated that the Community should monitor and enforce free and fair competition in markets across Europe. With much of the legislation required to establish the single market already in place, the new protocol ensures that proactive competition will remain the major focus and driver of single market policy in the 21st century. The protocol states and confirms, as did the treaty of Rome, that establishing an internal market is a key objective of the European Union and that ensuring free and fair competition across the continent is essential to doing so. The protocol is legally binding and an integral part of the Lisbon treaty. As the treaty itself states:

"The Protocols and Annexes to the Treaties shall form an integral part thereof".

The wording of the principal treaty articles governing the regulation of competition in the European Union—4, 27, 34, 81 to 89, 96, 98, 105 and 157—are substantially unchanged by the Lisbon treaty, providing an additional layer of protection. Everyone in the House should therefore be clear that removing barriers to competition in the internal market will remain a fundamental part of the EU's task once the treaty of Lisbon has been ratified.

The Lisbon treaty also expands the Union's objectives to include references to a

"highly competitive social market economy and free and fair trade."

Under the terms of the treaty, the Union has a duty to promote those values in every area. The binding protocol on the single market embeds those principles still deeper into the European Union's agenda. I will now give way to the hon. Member for Hertsmere, for the last time, I hope.