ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to examine to what extent the new powers conferred on the European Parliament (EP) by the Treaty of Lisbon are enabling it to substantially influence the content of the international agreements concluded by the European Union (EU). It exposes the formal and informal mechanisms that the EP has at its disposal to influence the content of the agreements during the negotiation process. The chapter analyses the influence of the EP on the content of the agreements and focuses on the basis of the practice developed so far after the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon. It examines the reaction of the EP towards the latest developments in EU external action which amount to a total escape of democratic control by the EP, with the EU-Turkey Statement as a particularly salient example. The chapter draws some general conclusions and reflections on the role of the EP in the conclusion of international agreements.
