An own-initiative report by Paulo Rangel MEP on the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty with respect to the European Parliament has been approved by large majority in the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament.

"The proposals I made in my report had 3 purposes in mind: strengthening the democratic legitimacy of the European Commission, strengthening the implementation of the principle of separation of powers in the Union and increasing scrutiny of the European Parliament. I believe that we reached a good result that contributes to reinforcing the sustainability of the European Union's democratic process."

The report underlines the need to strengthen the Commission's democratic legitimacy, independence and political role. It states that the new procedure under which the Commission's President is elected by the European Parliament will strengthen the Commission's legitimacy and political role and will make the European elections more important, by linking the voters' choice in the elections to the European Parliament more directly to the election of the Commission's President.

The report also urges the next Convention to consider how the Commission is formed in order to reinforce the Commission's democratic legitimacy and calls on the next Commission President to consider how its composition, construction and political priorities will strengthen policy which is close to citizens.

Paulo Rangel requests that as many Members of the next Commission as possible are chosen from among elected Members of the European Parliament and is of the opinion that the President-elect of the Commission should act more autonomously in the process of selecting the other Members of the Commission.

His report takes the view, further to the political understanding reached by the European Council concerning the number of Members of the European Commission, that additional measures, such as the appointment of Commissioners without portfolio or the establishment of a system of Vice-Presidents of the Commission with responsibilities over major thematic clusters and with competences to coordinate the work of the Commission in the corresponding areas, should be envisaged for the more effective functioning of the Commission, without prejudice to the right to appoint one Commissioner per Member State and to the right of vote of all Commissioners.

The report is expected to be voted in Parliament's March plenary session.