Brussels, 05/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - The first thing to be done to create a European democratic area is to establish real European political parties that are able to tackle their agendas at transnational level. This statement comes from the colloquy on the state of democracy in the European Union after entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, organised on Wednesday 3 November at the university of Turin by the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) in Rome, in collaboration with the Turin study centre on federalism and the Notre Europe foundation in Paris, represented by its president, Tommaso Padoa Schioppa, and supported by the permanent representation of the European Commission in Italy. The Lisbon Treaty opens the way to strengthened democracy in the EU and in its member states but much remains to be done if all the opportunities it provides are to be seized: - to this end, many suggestions were put forward. (Gp/transl.jl)