The Lisbon Treaty, which aims to streamline the decision-making process of the European Union (EU), came into force on Tuesday.

The occasion was marked by a ceremony in the City of Lisbon, where the treaty was signed two years ago. The event was organized jointly by the Portuguese government, the Swedish Presidency and the European Commission.

"The Treaty of Lisbon puts citizens at the center of the European project," President of the EC Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement.

"I'm delighted that we now have the right institutions to act and a period of stability, so that we can focus all our energy on delivering what matters to our citizens," he added.

The most important element of the treaty was creating two new posts, namely the first-ever permanent EU President and the foreign policy chief, to give a human face to the 27-nation bloc and increase its global clout.

At an informal summit held here on November 19, then Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy and British EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton, were chosen as the first EU President and foreign policy chief respectively.

According to the EC, the Lisbon Treaty will allow the EU to fully concentrate on managing a smooth exit from the economic and financial crisis and pushing ahead with the bloc's 2020 strategy for greener growth.

It will also give more say to the European Parliament and national parliaments. And the EU citizens will have the right to make policy proposal to the EC.

(Xinhua News Agency December 1, 2009)