DEMOCRATIC IMPROVEMENTS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AFTER THE LISBON TREATY REFORMS: WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED?

Abstract

The paper focuses on the current state of the position of the European Parliament in
the European Union after the institutional reforms that have been introduced by the Lisbon
Treaty. The key issue that is examined is whether the Lisbon reforms made stronger
European Parliament, an institution that is more efficient and closer to the citizens.
First of all, the Treaty of Lisbon changed the legislative procedure. The previously
known co-decision procedure has been transformed into regular legislative procedure with
the Treaty of Lisbon.
Secondly, the Treaty of Lisbon made significant changes in another area, increasing
the political control of the Parliament over the Commission.
Third, but not less important that the previous two is that with the Article 11 section 4
of the Lisbon Treaty was introduced a right for citizens initiative in the EU. Namely “not less
than one million citizens who are nationals of a significant number of Member States may
take the initiative of inviting the European Commission, within the framework of its powers,
to submit any appropriate proposal on matters where citizens consider that a legal act of the
Union isrequired for the purpose of implementing the Treaties.
The paper addresses the main reforms that have been made with the Treaty of Lisbon
regarding the powers of the European Parliament. The authors try to answer whether the
European Parliament after the reforms become a stronger institution and what are the changes
that have to be taken into consideration when another intergovernmental conference with
institutional reforms like main topic is going to be scheduled.