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European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering welcomed the agreement on a new Treaty as a great success for the European Parliament. " With this Treaty, Parliament obtains co-decision over almost all Community legislation and sees its political role considerably strengthened."
A formal proclamation of the Charter by the Presidents of the three EU institutions will take place in the European Parliament on 12 December, the day before the signing of the Treaties.
The Intergovernmental Conference agreed on the proposal made by Parliament, with the addition of one seat. After the 2009 elections, therefore, the European Parliament will be made up of 751 members.
President Pöttering also expressed his confidence that the new Treaties would enter into force before the European elections of June 2009. He added that he was pleased that the main achievements of the Constitutional Treaty had been preserved, albeit with additional British opt-outs.