A treaty signed by the 27 member states of the European Union; it was agreed in December 2007, and came into effect on 1 December 2009. The treaty reformed the institutions of the EU, incorporating some of the provisions of the abortive European constitution that had been rejected in 2004. The European Community, since 1993 a component of the EU, was abolished and its powers, structures, and functions assumed directly by the EU. Two new EU officers were created: the President of the European Council and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The powers of the European Parliament were increased and the system of voting in the Council of Ministers revised. The treaty also gave legal force to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which guarantees various rights of EU citizens and residents.