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Klaus signs EU reform treaty (1st Lead)
Nov 3, 2009, 14:44 GMT
Prague - Czech President Vaclav Klaus said on Tuesday he signed the European Union's Lisbon Treaty at 3 pm (1400 GMT), enabling the 27-member bloc to reform its institutions.
The treaty, aimed at turning the EU into an influential global player, will thus enter into force on December 1.
The signature on the pact allows EU leaders to select a president for the bloc. The post would replace the EU's six-month rotating presidencies.
Sweden, which currently chairs the bloc, is expected to summon an extraordinary summit to pick the new top official. The EU wants the new institutions in place on January 1.
Klaus' ratification of the pact came hours after the Czech Republic's Constitutional Court removed a final obstacle to the treaty's progress.
The top court's 15 judges unanimously ruled earlier Tuesday that the treaty does not clash with the Czech constitution.
Klaus, a treaty opponent, had been dragging out his ratification of the pact since the Czech parliament approved it in May.
He demanded two conditions for his signature - the court's verdict and an opt-out for the Czech Republic from a part of the reform accord, the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights. The opt-out was agreed to by EU leaders on Thursday.
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