The new powers of the European Parliament

Anybody thinking that the Lisbon Treaty would not change the EU institutions has apparently been mistaken.

In an incredible story, Jean Quatremer reports about the humiliation of the EU Council by the European Parliament following the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty.

Having become the official co-legislator, the Parliament demands equal rights between the Council and the EP members. So far, only Council members had the right to freely enter the European Parliament, including the right to participate in all meetings while restricting MEP access to the Council.

The European Parliament is now turning around this story, demanding the same accreditation procedure from national diplomats in the European Parliament as MEPs face in the Council while asking to be allowed to have access to COREPER and all Council working groups as Council members have access to all relevant EP meetings.

That is an amazing story and I cannot wait to see how the Parliament and the Council will agree on how their relations will be in the future, including access to each others buildings and meetings.