Speaker commemorates fourth anniversary of Lisbon Treaty’s implementation

Speaker of the House Representatives Anglu Farrugia this morning paid a courtesy visit to Europe House in Valletta to mark the fourth anniversary of the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty.

The Lisbon Treaty strengthened the role of national parliaments in the EU legislative process and also enhanced the role of citizens within the European parliament as voters will not only be asked to choose their respective MEPs but they will also influence the appointment of the next European Commission president, currently Portuguese Jose Manuel Barroso.

Farrugia was welcomed by Martin Bugelli, head of the European Commission Representation in Malta, and Peter Agius, head of the European Parliament Information Office in Malta.

Speaker Anġlu Farrugia spoke about parliamentary dialogue, and on how the treaty opened up new opportunities for citizens to make their voice heard. He explained that the Maltese Parliament has issued a number of opinions in this regard over the last few years.

Dr Agius noted that the 2014 European elections would be the first to be held under the Lisbon Treaty, which enhances the role of EU citizens as political actors in the EU. Citizens will not only be asked to choose their MEPs, but they will also influence the decision regarding the choice of the next president of the European Commission.

"Acting upon the votes of the European citizens, the European Parliament will elect the President of the Commission on the basis of a proposal by the European Council, taking into account the results of the European elections," Agius explained.

Mr Bugelli explained that the European Commission Representation and the European Parliament Information Office in Malta work very closely together, communicating the EU as a whole and going beyond the roles of the individual institutions.

Talking about the added value of the EU, Mr Bugelli referred to the successful outcome of the talks with Iran on its nuclear programme held recently in Geneva, which were spearheaded by the EU. He also mentioned the protests reported in Ukraine's capital Kiev by the pro-EU population following Ukraine's decision to drop plans to sign a trade and co-operation agreement with the EU. "We tend to take EU membership for granted while others are prepared to fight for it," he said.