Treaty of Lisbon (No. 4)

The hon. Gentleman is making a strong case, but he ignores the detail of the protocol. Article 1 clearly states that"““services of general economic interest””" will be organised"““as closely as possible to the needs of the users””." That, combined with the victory won on the services directive in the Parliament since the constitution—thanks to the work of Arlene McCarthy, a Labour MEP—has changed the environment in which the provision will be interpreted. Surely the hon. Gentleman should give credit where it is due, and recognise the progress that has been made.