Foreign minister Maxime Verhagen and European affairs minister Frans Timmermans have welcomed the Irish 'yes' vote to the Lisbon Treaty. 'This is a big step towards a more effective and more democratic Europe,' said Mr Verhagen. 'The purpose of the Treaty is, after all, to simplify decision-making in many areas and give the European Parliament a bigger role. There will also be a permanent president of the European Council and a High Representative for Foreign Affairs.'
'These new players will have the scope to represent the EU's interests effectively, while member states will still have a say on important issues. The Benelux countries have already outlined an approach with this in mind, which they will present to the Swedish presidency. Then we can get down to business quickly when everyone is on board.'
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