LISBON TREATY: CONTENT AND REVISION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

Abstract

This article aims at presenting key elements of the content of the Treaty on the European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union after the amendments that were introduced in the Lisbon Treaty of 2009. The presentation of this subject matter is preceded by a brief comment on the failed attempt to adopt the so-called European Constitution at the beginning of the century, and an overview of political backdrop against which the development and adoption of the Lisbon Treaty occurred - i.e. the 'Mandate' and the ratification process. The presentation of the structure and content of the amended Treaty on the European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union is then followed by a more detailed presentation of elements of the European Union’s constitutional framework, such as its goals, its legal personality, founding values, fundamental rights, solidarity, as well as the democratic dimension of the Union.