Czech Senate to debate, possibly vote on Lisbon Treaty

May 6, 2009, 8:01 GMT

Prague - The Czech parliament's upper house Wednesday agreed to debate and possibly vote on the European Union's stalled reform pact, the Lisbon Treaty, a step on its protracted ratification.

The treaty's approval, its supporters said, would salvage the Czech EU presidency's reputation tarnished by the country's government collapse midway through its EU term ending June 30.

Its defeat would bring the Czech Republic to 'the periphery' of Europe, said outgoing Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, who signed the treaty on behalf of the Czechs and has since given it his backing.

Once adopted by all EU members, the pact would allow the 27-member bloc to reform its institutions in a bid to streamline decision-making and boost its global standing.

However, the treaty has been in limbo since the Irish voted it down in a referendum in June 2008. The EU hopes that a fresh vote in the fall would bring it back to life.

In the Czech Senate, three-fifths of present senators, or at least 49 in the 81-seat upper house, are needed for the charter to pass.

The charter is expected to clear the hurdle despite opposition from most senators for Topolanek's Civic Democrats.

Seven from 36 Civic Democrats in the upper house are needed for pact's approval as 42 senators for other parties support the pact.

Officials, including outgoing Vice-Premier for European Affairs Alexandr Vondra, who is also a senator for Civic Democrats, expect the treaty to garner the needed support.

Parliament's lower house endorsed the pact on February 18. The vote in the Senate is not the last ratification step as the process also requires a presidential signature.

President Vaclav Klaus, a vocal Lisbon Treaty opponent, has no deadline to do so. He hinted earlier that he would ink the charter only after Ireland overturns its rejection. Ireland rejected the Lisbon Treaty in a referendum in June 2008.

The treaty is likely to face other obstacles. If the pact passes the Senate, a group of Klaus followers in the upper house considers asking the Constitutional Court to review it, in a move that would further drag out the ratification.

Aside from the Czech Republic and Ireland, the ratification has yet to be completed in Germany and Poland where the treaty awaits a presidential signature.