[FR] The Reform Treaty: changes compared to the Constitutional Treaty

On 18 and 19 October, at the informal summit in Lisbon, the 27 Member States formally adopted a new Treaty to replace the Constitution rejected by the French and Dutch in spring 2005. The latter, known as the Reform Treaty, was drafted over a period of almost three months by the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the basis of the mandate established at the European Council in June 2007. Before it can enter into force, the Treaty must be formally signed on 13 December and ratified by the Member States before 1 January 2009.