Treaty of Lisbon

The Treaty of Lisbon was signed by the leaders of the European Union's member states after the failure of the proposed European Constitution, which French and Dutch voters had rejected in referendums. It amended the existing treaties instead of replacing them, and it came into force after Irish voters, who had first rejected it, approved it in a second referendum. The treaty created the post of a permanent President of the European Council and a High Representative for foreign affairs, gave the European Parliament more power and made the Charter of Fundamental Rights legally binding. It also introduced a procedure by which a state can leave the Union.

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