EU Council reform as enacted by the Lisbon Treaty

The Treaty of Lisbon introduced a set of institutional reforms in the European Union that had been under negotiation ever since the establishment, in 2002, of the Convention on the Future of the EU. This paper sums up and briefly assesses the main changes that affect the functioning of the Council of the European Union and its position in the EU institutional architecture. Two main innovations are at the centre of the analysis: the prospective introduction of a new Qualified Majority formula and changes to the logic and structure of the Council presidencies. As of now, the interim assessment is a mixed one. Some of the changes enacted are indeed likely to contribute to the efficiency and transparency of the Council’s decision-making, whereas others bear distinct systemic risks and yet others have had their implementation postponed. The overall effect thus remains open-ended.