The European Parliament after the Treaty of Lisbon

The European Parliament is the only institution of the European Union, which members are elected by the citizens of the Union in direct elections, through a secret ballot on a 5 year term. Subsequent changes to the Treaties, strengthened the position of the European Parliament and increased the size of its composition. A very important change from the European Parliament, was introduced with the Maastricht Treaty. Its provisions introduced the principle of codecision, establishing the role of this institution as equal with the Council. The Treaty of Lisbon is a relatively new document. It contributed to a major reform of the European Union, giving it a uniform structure and legal status in the international arena. The essence of this study is to investigate whether the Lisbon Treaty changed the role of the European Parliament in the institutional system of the European Union.