"After the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, and currently with the preparations for European economic governance, the EU has received new and extended competences. At the same time, its popularity with the citizens of its Member States has never been as low as it is today. One of the reasons for the gap between the EU's competences and its popularity among ordinary citizens is that the entire structure of the EU is extremely complex. Even for journalists it is often hard to grasp what are the effects of the various stages of decision-making and who are the main actors. If this already holds for the formal rules governing decision- making, the reality is even more complex due to the influence of interest representatives at every level of the decision-making process.. "

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