Bigger role for the European Parliament
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European Commission:
According to the treaty changes, the Parliament elects the head of the Commission, the EU's executive body
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Council of the European Union:
Following the treaty, Parliament and the Council have the same powers .
The Lisbon Treaty increased the powers of the European Parliament :
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New legislative powers
The Lisbon Treaty extended Parliament's legislative powers to more than 40 new fields and made it a lawmaker at the same level as the Council
Previous areas of codecision:
- Environment
- Transport
- Internal market
- Jobs and social policy
- Education
- Public health
- Consumer protection
Additional areas due to the Lisbon Treaty
- Agriculture and fisheries
- Support for poorer regions
- Security and justice
- Commercial policy
- Cooperation with countries outside the EU
- Implementing acts
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International agreements
International agreements - right to approve/reject
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Budgetary powers
Parliament decides on the full budget, rather than on non-compulsory expenditure only
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Citizens initiative
A new form of participatory democracy. Parliament sought to facilitate the procedures and committed itself to holding hearing for initiatives that have collected the required signatures