The European Court of Justice (ECJ) in the Van Gend en Loos- case pointed out that he European Union (EU) is an Learning Politics d remains a ‘new legal order of international law’.[1] Therefore we cannot achieve legitimacy in the same way as nation states, where concepts such as a collective identity and a constitution are present. The EU is sui generis – of its own kind, peculiar and unique in the world, fundamentals like supremacy, direct and indirect effect, and state liability are present – so neither the way in which other international organisations derive their legitimacy is suitable in the case of the EU.[2] Throughout my readings I found out that there are many theories, and difference of opinions of what legitimacy in the context of the EU would involve because of its complex internal structure and way of f Learning Politics unctioning. I shall aim to explore why legitimacy in the context of the EU is so sufficient and how, from a legal perspective, this is been reached by the Lisbon Treaty. The integration of the EU from the beginning of the 1950’s when the Treaty of Paris was signed, especially the increasing of EU competence since 1992, till the current Treaty of Nice, has been developed so far that the member states share its decision-making powers with the EU as well as accept policies coming from the EU. When a system has decision-making powers in a wide range of policy competence it is important that it possess legitimacy.[3]The failed Constitutional Treaty referenda in France and the Netherlands in 2005 were an unexpected event th Learning Politics at had damaging effect to the plans of the EU for its integration and prior to this the citizens for instance of Denmark (Treaty of Maastricht 1992), Ireland (2001Treaty of Nice) and Sweden (EMU 2003) had also voted negatively which had the effect that developments for EU citizens gave the image that the EU institutions are inefficient, not transparent and unaccountable.[4] This and the fact that the EU keeps reforming its Treaties, especially since 1986 Single European Act, presumes a legitimacy crisis.[5] Amongst scientists many theories developed to attempt to justify the ‘legitimacy’ of the EU.[6] There has been a tendency to co Learning Politics mbine the concepts of ‘democratic deficit’ and ‘legitimacy crisis’.[7] Democratic deficit is that where decisions are moved from national Parliaments and the citizens; where decisions are taken by civil servants behind closed doors and laws are made via agreements between all  Learning Politics member states whereby it is impossible for an individual country, acting alone, to make or change an EU law; where citizens vote and influence at national level has no guaranteed effect upon what occurs at EU level.[8] Its remarkable that most scientists could not agree on the existence of a democratic deficit despite the concern of EU officials and national politicians. In 2001 the Commission published its seminal White Paper on European Governance in which it based its sweeping proposals for EU institutional reform on “principles of good governance,” including ope>