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On 9 December at the international conference “The European Union after the Lisbon Treaty and Challenges to Lithuania” in Vilnius, Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Egidijus Meilūnas stressed the importance of the Treaty of Lisbon to the EU’s decision-making process and citizens’ participation in it.

“The Treaty of Lisbon that came into force two years ago strengthened the European Union, especially its democratic institutions. The European Parliament, which represents the EU’s citizens, has gained more powers, the civil initiative was consolidated enabling ordinary people to contribute to the development of principles of the European Union law,” said Vice-Minister E.Meilūnas.

He also drew attention to some of the new rules to be followed by the Presidency of the Council of the EU. Representatives of the Lithuanian Presidency in the second half of 2013 will have to reconcile the interests of the Council of the EU with the interests of the European Parliament, and to cooperate constructively with the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

The Conference also discussed changes introduced by the Lisbon Treaty in the legal practice and decision making.

Judge of the General Court of the European Union Vilenas Vadapalas, Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union Eleanor Sharpston and other lawyers from Lithuanian and foreign institutions gave speeches during the event.

The conference “The European Union after the Lisbon Treaty and Challenges to Lithuania” was organized by the Institute of International and the European Union Law of the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University in cooperation with the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Law Excellence Centre. The conference was organized while implementing the project “Improving efficiency of the Lithuania’s European Union Affairs System”.