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Discover Facts You Didn’t Know About the Lisbon Treaty

Discover Facts You Didn't Know About the Lisbon Treaty

The Lisbon Treaty was an
attempt to refine the European Union Government by amending the treaties at the
core of the European Union. The two treaties which the Treaty of Lisbon was
intended to amend include the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty
establishing the European Community. These are also known as the Treaty of
Maastricht and the Treaty of Rome, respectively.

The Treaty of Lisbon was signed
in December 2007 and was put into effect in December 2009. The Lisbon Treaty
amends the existing legislative body of the European Union such that
legislation passed by the European Parliament must be passed through a double
majority. 

A double majority means that the European Parliament must be in favor
of the legislation in a majority of two different criteria. The first criteria
refers to the overall population of the European Union, while the second
criteria refers to a majority of the nations within the European Union.

The Lisbon Treaty was also
significant for creating the position of a President of the European Council,
the position of a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy, and the legal enforcement of the Charter of Fundamental
Rights, which is the Bill of Rights for the European Union.

 The Treaty of
Lisbon was ratified by all member states of the European Union, as it had to be
for it to be adopted as an amendment treaty for the main treaties of the European
Union.