A) The Reset Inter-institutional Balance in the EU
The Treaty of Lisbon reformed the EU institutions and their proceedings as follows:
● Organizational Aspect - Institutional Changes
- It changed the EP’s role in the conclusion of EU international agreements;
- It changed the composition of the EP;
- The allocation of seats in the EP shall be determined by secondary law;
- It added the European Council to the list of EU institutions;
- It introduced the office of the President of the European Council;
- From 1 Nov. 2014, the Commission shall consist of a number of members corresponding to 2/3 of the number of Member States (unless decided otherwise);- It introduced the office of the “High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy”;
- The Court of Justice of the EC was renamed: „Court of Justice of the European Union“.
● Functional Aspect (Methods)
- It declared qualified majority voting in the Council the norm;
- Deliberations and voting on draft legislative acts in the Council shall take place in public;
- It changed the CJEU’s jurisdiction and modifies the types of bringing action.
● The Balance of Power – rule-based interaction between the European Commission, the Council of Ministers, the European Parliament and the European Council. Potential conflict between presidencies of the Commission and the European Council and of the new High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy and Vicepresident of the Commission.