The treaty, signed by the 15 EU member states on Oct. 2, 1997, was basically an extension of the Treaty of Maastricht, signed six years before. It granted the European Parliament more power, giving it final approval over the selection of the European commission president and commissioners. The treaty also called for more cooperation between EU members on the justice and interior fronts. The Schengen Agreement on relaxing borders was also incorporated into the European Union agreement.