Lisbon Treaty comes into force
BRUSSELS. December 1. KAZINFORM The Lisbon Treaty, which aims to streamline the decision-making process of the European Union (EU), came into force on Tuesday; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.
The occasion was marked by a ceremony in the City of Lisbon, where the treaty was signed two years ago. The event was organized jointly by the Portuguese government, the Swedish Presidency and the European Commission.
"The Treaty of Lisbon puts citizens at the center of the European project," President of the EC Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement.
"I'm delighted that we now have the right institutions to act and a period of stability, so that we can focus all our energy on delivering what matters to our citizens," he added.
The most important element of the treaty was creating two new posts, namely the first-ever permanent EU President and the foreign policy chief, to give a human face to the 27-nation bloc and increase its global clout; Kazinform cites Xinhua.
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