Welcomes, furthermore, the new horizontal obligations created by the Treaty of Lisbon to combat social exclusion and discrimination and to promote social justice and protection, equality between men and women, respect for private and family life, solidarity between generations and protection of the rights of the child, and to develop a common policy on asylum and immigration and combat trafficking in human beings, as well as its explicit reference to persons belonging to minorities, which reflects another founding value of the Union; welcomes the fact that the Union has acquired legal personality allowing it to accede to international treaties, the improvement in judicial protection with the extension of the jurisdiction of the CJ to areas ...[+++] of obvious relevance to the protection of fundamental rights, such as police and judicial cooperation in the field of criminal law, the strengthened role of the European Parliament and national parliaments in the European decision-making process, especially in evaluating the implementation of EU policy in the AFSJ, the increased role of European citizens, now invested with the power to initiate EU legislation through the European Citizens’ Initiative, and the obligation to maintain an open, transparent and regular dialogue with representative associations and civil society (Article 11(2) TEU);

appropriations for one-off actions, or even actions for an indefinite duration, carried out by the Commission by virtue of tasks resulting from its prerogatives at institutional level pursuant to the EC Treaty and the Euratom Treaty other than its right of legislative initiative referred to in point (b) and under specific powers directly conferred on it by those Treaties, a list of which is given in the implementing rules;

The Parliament exercises legislative power and shares the right of legislative initiative with the Government.

(c) appropriations for one-off actions, or even actions for an indefinite duration, carried out by the Commission by virtue of tasks resulting from its prerogatives at institutional level pursuant to the EC Treaty and the Euratom Treaty other than its right of legislative initiative referred to in point (b) and under specific powers directly conferred on it by these Treaties, a list of which is given in the implementing rules.

Although only the national authorities have the power to initiate legal proceedings or impose penalties, they may call on the assistance of Europol if necessary.Special attention will be given to synthetic drugs through legislation and practical cooperation both within Europe and at international level.Finally, a large number of medium and short-term measures are proposed in the action plan to establish an area of freedom, security and justice.

(b) appropriations concerning actions of a specific, or even indefinite, nature carried out by the Commission by virtue of tasks resulting from its prerogatives at institutional level, other than its right of legislative initiative as referred to in point (a), and specific powers directly conferred upon it by the EC Treaty.