LISABONSKI SPORAZUM: INSTITUCIONALNE IZMENE U VEZI EVROPSKOG PARLAMENTA, EVROPSKE KOMISIJE I NAČINA ODLUČIVANjA U SAVETU EU

Prolović Nevena (Истраживач приправник, Институт за међународну политику и привреду, Београд), nevena@diplomacy.bg.ac.rs

The Treaty of Lisbon, as well as The Draft Constitutional Treaty, has been widely discussed under the objectives of the Laeken Declaration, aimed at improving the effectivness, transparency and democratic accountability of the EU. This paper analyses institutional changes introduced by The Treaty, reffered to the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council. Although to different degrees, all these institutions are to be strengthened in their respective position through institutional and procedural innovations. The most extensive innovatios refer to the working of the Council and decision – making process. This process is significantly facilitated, by introducing new voting weight in the Council, as well as the system of double majority. The position of the European Parliament is improved by extending its legislative and budgetary powers and by giving it right to elect the Commission president. Finally, three not unimportant steps are taken regarding the Commission: reducing the number of Commissioners with one third, electing its president by Parliament on a proposal of the Coucil, and giving the Commission President the right to dismiss a single Commissioner. The paper also highlights the new role of National Parliaments in monitoring the EU legislative process.

Keywords: European Union, the Treaty of Lisbon, institutional changes, reform, the Commission, the European Parliament, the Council