---

Treaty of Lisbon (No. 7)

My hon. Friend is right. The change is significant and represents a general obligation that has entered into the treaty without qualification. There is no obligation for a member state to participate in the European Defence Agency, but the EDA's statute, seat and operational rules are subject to QMV in the Council. According to the EDA's statute, the steering board also makes decisions by QMV. If a member state participates, it does not have a veto. Obviously, if it does not participate, it does not have a veto. The policies that flow from the EDA are policies of the European Union that must be observed ““actively and unreservedly””.