Citizens of the European Union have acquired a stronger voice and a stronger role in the bloc’s decision making process, Foreign Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said.

He said that with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on December 1, a new right came into play - the European Citizens’ Initiative, granting the right to one million EU citizens coming from a significant number of member states to request the European Commission to submit any appropriate proposal on matters where the citizens considered that a legal act was necessary.

Additional powers were also granted to national parliaments which were, for the first time, fully recognised as part of the democratic fabric of the union.

National Parliaments would act as “watchdogs” of the subsidiarity principle and would have the power to influence proposals submitted by the Commission at a very early stage.

This would increase people’s participation through their representatives in Parliament, bringing EU institutions closer to the people.

The treaty would also introduce the role of a High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy aimed at giving the union a stronger voice on the international scene and the capability of providing solutions to global challenges.

More widely known aspects were the retention of a Maltese Commissioner and an increased Maltese representation within the European Parliament

Malta’s additional seat in the European Parliament was a clear sign that the country was playing a key role and its influence on the decisions taken was leaving positive results.

At the same time, it was a clear reflection that Malta, notwithstanding its size and human resource limitations, had taken advantage of the opportunities emanating from its membership to the EU and this was clearly reflected by the recent decision for the European Asylum Support Office to be located in Malta, Dr Borg said.