The discussions around institutionnal reforms and the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty announce important changes for the legal basis for EU development. Even though the EU Conctituional Treaty has not been ratified, the introduction of the Lisbon Treaty will have major implications for EU development and humanitarian policies and for the way development cooperation and humanitarian assistance are implemented.

You will find here some documents and links on the place of development in the treaties :

• A letter to the European Commission President Jose Manuel Barrose on his election as president (2004)
• European Constitutional Treaty: A Step Forward Towards A Responsible Europe in the World?

The Lisbon Treaty:

• The Lisbon Treaty explained by Eurostep: The purpose of this website is to provide information about the implications of the Lisbon Treaty for the EU’s development cooperation policy.
• Prospects on Europe under the Lisbon treaty, an article by Simon Stocker