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EU gives Ireland more time on treaty decision
European Union leaders will try on Friday to persuade the Czech Republic to back a call for ratification of the EU reform treaty by remaining EU states, after agreeing to give Ireland time to digest its "No" vote.
- Reuters
- Published: 09:18 June 20, 2008
Brussels: European Union leaders will try on Friday to persuade the Czech Republic to back a call for ratification of the EU reform treaty by remaining EU states, after agreeing to give Ireland time to digest its "No" vote.
Rejection of the treaty by Irish voters eight days ago threw the 27-member EU into disarray and raised questions about plans for further enlargement of the bloc.
Delays in the Czech Republic and Poland have cast further doubts about the treaty's fate and, in an ominous move, diplomats said the Czechs were resisting any reference to continuing ratification in Friday's summit final statement.
"There is particular difficulty with our Czech friends. I hope we will be able to lift it by tomorrow morning," French President Nicolas Sarkozy told a news conference after the first day of the summit in Brussels.
"We are talking to Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek about the drafting of the final communique; each side being well aware that the idea is to confine the problem to Ireland and for all the other countries to continue the ratification process."
After Britain raised EU spirits by ratifying the text in parliament on Wednesday, most of the other eight countries still to endorse it vowed to go ahead.
The Czech Senate has stalled ratification to await a constitutional court ruling, and Topolanek told reporters: "If the vote was today, I would not bet 100 crowns on the outcome."
The treaty would give EU leaders a long-term president, a stronger foreign policy chief with a real diplomatic service, a more democratic decision making system and more say for the European and national parliaments.
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