The Treaty of Lisbon of 13 December 2007 entered into force on 1 December 2009. Accordingly, two treaties now form the legal fundament of the European Union:
- Treaty on the European Union (EU Treaty, TEU) - Extract (PDF, 86 KB)
- Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) - Extract (PDF, 83 KB)
With the Treaty of Lisbon entering into force, the European Parliament has been assigned more competences. In addition, the distribution of seats was changed (see below).
Nice Treaty – EU and EC Treaties as in force for the 2009 European ElectionUntil the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force, the European Union was based on three so-called foundation treaties:
- the Treaty on European Union (EU Treaty, TEU)
- the Treaty establishing the European Community (EC Treaty)
- the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom Treaty)
The EC Treaty evolved from the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (EEC Treaty) which was signed together with the Euratom Treaty in Rome on 25 March 1957 by the six founder member states Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg and the Netherlands. The EEC Treaty and the Euratom Treaty are therefore known as the "Treaties of Rome". The most important provisions on the European Parliament were contained in the EU and the EC Treaties. Lately, the Euratom Treaty played a minor role and shall continue to have full effect as a protocol to the Treaty of Lisbon.
The European Union was established on 7 Feburary 1992 when the Treaty of Maastricht was signed. This treaty also changed the name of the EEC Treaty into EC Treaty and renumbered its provisions. Both the EU and the EC Treaties were amended by the Treaty of Amsterdam of 2 October 1997. At the 2009 European election, they were effective as amended by the Nice Treaty. This treaty had been signed on 26 February 2001 and entered into force on 1 February 2003. The EU and EC Treaties contained the basic provisions concerning the European Parliament as well as the Citizenship of the European Union which provides the right to vote and to stand in European elections in any Member State.
Nice Treaty, consolidated version - Extract (PDF, 130 KB)
These treaties were replaced by the Treaty of Lisbon. This treaty amended the EU Treaty as well as the EC Treaty and renumbered their provisions. In addition, the name of the EC Treaty was changed into "Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union" (TFEU).
Distribution of seats in the European ParliamentAfter the 2009 European election, Germany is - as since 1990 - represented by 99 members of the European Parliament. According to the Treaty of Lisbon, Germany will only have 96 seats in the European Parliament. Thereby, Germany is the only Member State losing seats compared to the distribution of seats after the 2009 European election. However, this applies only after the next European election in 2014. Until then, Germany continues to have 99 members of the European Parliament. Still, after the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force twelve Member States were allowed to send 18 further members to the European Parliament. Hence, the total number of seats increased from 736 after the 2009 European election to 754.
Member State Seats after 2009 European election
Seats after the Treaty of Lisbon
entered into force
(Dec. 2009 - 2014)Difference Seats after 2014 European election Austria 17 19 +2 19 Belgium 22 22 0 22 Bulgaria 17 18 +1 18 Czech Republic 22 22 0 22 Cyprus 6 6 0 6 Denmark 13 13 0 13 Estonia 6 6 0 6 Finland 13 13 0 13 France 72 74 +2 74 Germany 99 99 0 96 Greece 22 22 0 22 Hungary 22 22 0 22 Ireland 12 12 0 12 Italy 72 73 +1 73 Latvia 8 9 +1 9 Lithuania 12 12 0 12 Luxembourg 6 6 0 6 Malta 5 6 +1 6 Netherlands 25 26 +1 26 Poland 50 51 +1 51 Portugal 22 22 0 22 Romania 33 33 0 33 Slovakia 13 13 0 13 Slovenia 7 8 +1 8 Spain 50 54 +4 54 Sweden 18 20 +2 20 United Kingdom 72 73 +1 73 Total 736 754 +18 751
©2012 The Federal Returning Officer
