国际英语新闻：EU commission, parliament sign cooperation agreement

BRUSSELS, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- European Commission and European Parliament signed a revised Framework Agreement on Wednesday to intensify political dialogue and cooperation.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek signed a revised framework agreement on Wednesday in Strasbourg, France to strengthen the working relations between the two institutions.

"This agreement marks a new departure following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty which reinforces the roles of the Commission and the European Parliament in driving forwards the European agenda," Barroso declared.

The agreement will intensify dialogue and cooperation between the two institutions in compliance with the Lisbon Treaty. It will also lead to a more efficient delivery of EU policies.

"I welcome in particular that the commission has undertaken to report on the concrete follow-up given to any legislative initiative requests by parliament," Buzek said.

One of the most important improvements included in this agreement aims at better informing the European Parliament of the commission's work, such as negotiation and conclusion of international agreements.