ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the European Parliament (EP) expansion of legislative powers, it is clear that there is no direct link between the objective legal and institutional powers of the EP and the European electorates involvement as measured by turnout, since these measures have trended in opposite directions. While the EP was clearly second-order or worse for much of its history from a legal and institutional perspective, the ratification and entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty amendments in December, 2009 have empowered the EP to the greatest extent yet. The Maastricht Treaty also expanded the use of the assent procedure in a few new areas including citizenship of the EU, certain aspects of the Economic and Monetary Union and the European Central Bank, use of structural funds, and proposals on a uniform procedure for elections to the EP.
