From Rome to Brussels: Lisbon Treaty ratifications

From the 1957 Treaties of Rome, establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom), the ratifications of the treaties marking the various stages of European integration have been deposited with the Italian government in Rome.



On Friday 23 October 2009, Ireland deposited its ratification instrument, as we reported earlier, based on the Wikipedia web page on Lisbon Treaty ratification and on an article in The Irish Times.




This Tuesday, 27 October, we are happy to announce that the Council of the European Union has updated its web page on Lisbon Treaty ratifications, with Ireland’s notification duly noted.

This means that 26 of 27 EU member states are on record as having formally concluded the ratification procedures.

There is only one gaping hole. The amending Lisbon Treaty has been democratically approved by the Parliament in the Czech Republic, but two obstacles raised late in the process need to be resolved.

Today, the Czech Constitutional Court in Brno hears the new complaints by 17 Czech Senators, defeated in the parliamentary arena, but close to President Vaclav Klaus.

If and when the Court validates the treaty, the President’s unsubstantiated fears of property claims by expelled Sudeten Germans should somehow be settled. Yesterday evening Swedish Europe Minister Cecilia Malmström still spoke about negotiations between the Swedish EU Council Presidency, the Czech Government and Prague Castle on the modalities.

If President Klaus then signs the treaty and the other formalities are complied with, the European Union’s member states can finally set in motion the appointment of the Barroso II Commission, which should have taken over from 1 November 2009, the President of the European Council and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, as well as start to lay the groundwork for the European External Action Service (EEAS) and a host of implementing measures required by the reform treaty.



Ralf Grahn