Yes is not the easier option

It's easy to say no when a deeper yes is burning inside - Stephen R Covey. This November 9, we shall be celebrating the beginning of the process of having One Europe. The fall of the Berlin Wall, 20 years ago, symbolised the beginning of a process that reached its culmination in 2004, when the European Union experienced its biggest enlargement ever. While moving towards the celebration of this anniversary, a very crucial vote towards the further democratisation, effectiveness and transparency of the EU will be taking place in Ireland on October 2.

If one had to contemplate on the construction of the EU, the fall of the Berlin Wall has to be considered an important milestone, as important as the treaties that built the Union we live in today, as important as the milestones of Rome, Maastricht, Amsterdam and Nice and as important as Lisbon will become. These are all the small steps that brought us 60 years of peace, peace that was threatened by the wall that finally fell 20 years ago. The EU is in constant transition and each of the cities already mentioned meant a major moment bringing about new elements and developments which, in turn, gave life and built the EU as we know it.

Eight years after a process to make the EU more democratic, more transparent and more efficient was initiated, we are at the final lap of important ratifications to be able to bring into force a treaty with a view of streamlining the EU institutions to optimise the dynamics of an enlarged bloc of 27 states in an era of unprecedented global challenges yearning for more "together" action and results.

The stated aim of the treaty is to complete the process started by the Treaty of Amsterdam and by the Treaty of Nice with a view to enhancing the efficiency and democratic legitimacy of the Union and to improving the coherence of its action. Opponents see it as part of a federalist agenda threatening national sovereignty.

These opposing views have characterised the debate in some of the 27 countries and now the ratification of this treaty lies within the responsibility of the Irish who already refused the ratification earlier last year. The Irish government agreed to hold a referendum on October 2 in return for a set of EU "legal guarantees" aimed at addressing various concerns raised by voters. These included pledges by the EU not to impose rules on Ireland concerning taxation, family-related issues and the traditional Irish state neutrality.

Ireland is not the only country that still needs to ratify this treaty. Ratification is also pending in Poland and the Czech Republic while Germany has now overcome the constitutional hurdles that were challenging the finalisation of the process there too. Having said that, it is only the Irish who have to overcome the "popular vote" in the ratification process.

The further enlargement of the EU depends highly on the enhancement of the efficiency of the decision-making process. Improving the efficiency of the institutions while strengthening their democracy is crucial for the success of an enlarged EU.

Thanks to its institutional innovations, the Lisbon Treaty makes it possible to reform the institutions of the enlarged Union. One of these changes is the creation of a stable Presidency, which will be elected by qualified majority by the European Council for two and a half years. Another change that will be brought about by the Lisbon Treaty is the change of the voting rules. The Lisbon Treaty will see the introduction of a more transparent, more democratic system based on the double majority of the states and the population. The aim of these changes are in line with the Lisbon Treaty's goal that comprises the enhancement of the Union's ability to take decisions and act in an enlarged Union while guaranteeing the legitimacy of its decisions and actions.

The Lisbon Treaty will also see a radical increase in the Union's powers and its political weight within the "institutional triangle" composed by the Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. Other important elements in the new treaty are notably the clauses establishing the Union as a legal entity, the enhancement of democratic participation and the right of citizens' initiative.

The most important contribution that the EU makes though is the value it adds to our own individual and daily lives. I have always embraced the belief that, in order to reap dividends out of EU membership, we all have to march in one step, which differs from what Eurosceptics claim to be the EU's downfall, namely that one size has to fit all. The need that the Lisbon Treaty is addressing is that the EU needs to become more efficient and relevant for us all in our ordinary everyday lives.

The EU must never lose sight of the importance of remaining connected with it citizens and mending gaping divisions that still exist between Brussels, the capitals in the individual member states and the citizens of the EU. We must never run the risk of having situations where despite a deeper yes burning inside, Europeans opt for the easier option, and say no.

Dr Drake is head of the European Commission Representation in Malta.