Topics in Brief

• Author: International Law Group
• Pages: 202-203

Page 202

EU agrees on treaty reform

The leaders of the Member States of the European Union have agreed on a treaty for a major reform. The 250-page document was agreed upon in Lisbon shortly after midnight on October 19, 2007, and will be formally signed on December 13, 2007. If all Member States ratify this "Treaty of Lisbon," it will enter into force in 2009 and replace the current EU Treaty. Features of the reform treaty include a long-term President fo the European Council, a EU foreign policy chief, and a reformed voting system. It will amend existing EU treaties. It does not, however, turn the EU in a single state; the Treaty does not mention an EU anthem or a common flag.

Citation: Information and the draft text of the Lisbon Treaty is available on the website http://europa. eulreform_treatylindex_en.htm. The text of the Lisbon Treaty is available on the website of the Council of the European Union at http://consilium.europa.eu.

EU imposes anti-dumping duty on persulphates from the U S

On October 9, 2007, the European Union issued Regulation No 1184/2007, imposing an definite anti-dumping duty on peroxosulphates (persulphates) originating in the U.S., China and Taiwan. These chemical substances are used in many industries because of their disinfectant, bleaching and etching properties, for example in the manufacture of electronic circuit boards and as pool disinfectants. The affected U.S. manufacturers are E.I. DuPont De Nemours (10.6 percent duty), FMC Corporation (39 percent duty), and all other manufacturers (39 percent duty) of these substances.

Citation: Regulation No 1184/2007, 2007 O.J. of the European Union (L 265) 1, 11 October 2007.

U S. President signs ratification of Hague Convention on Intercounty Adoption

Americans adopt more foreign-born children than all other countries in the world combined. On November 16, 2007, U.S. President George W. Bush signed the U.S. instrument for the ratification of the Hague Convention on Intercounty Adoption. The U.S. had signed the Convention in 1994, and the Senate gave its advice and consent in 2000. The implementing legislation is the Intercountry Adoption Act (IAA). The Convention establishes federal oversight of...