How will it be ratified?
Most countries plan to ratify the Lisbon Treaty through their Parliaments, which is less likely to produce a negative result than a referendum.
So far only one country, Ireland, has stated that it will definitely hold a referendum. Although Irish voters rejected the Nice Treaty in 2001, most observers believe a comfortable majority will back the Reform Treaty in Summer 2008.
Although Denmark had been planning to have a referendum on the constitution, the Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has decided that it would not be necessary to have a vote on the new Treaty because a government investigation had concluded no new transfer of sovereignty was involved.
The Lisbon Treaty will enter into force on 1 January 2009, provided that all 27 Member States ratify it.
When will it be ratified?
Hungary became the first country to ratify the treaty on 17 December 2007.
In 29 January 2008, Slovenia current EU Presidency became the second Member State to ratify the new EU Treaty in its national parliament.
A bit later on 29 January 2008, Malta became the third country to give the go-ahead to the document, with its parliament voting unanimously to approve a motion of ratification.
Romania, one of the last two countries to join the EU, ratified the EU Treaty on 4 February 2008.
On 8 February 2008, France has approved the new EU treaty, drawing a line under the shock ’No’ vote of almost three years ago when French voters rejected the original EU constitution.
Bulgaria, one of the EU’s most recent Member States, on 21 March became the sixth country to ratify the EU’s Lisbon treaty.
The Polish parliament’s lower house approved the Treaty on 1 April following an agreement with the conservative opposition for the adoption of a parliamentary resolution that would contain references to Poland’s sovereignty in the face of EU legislation.
On 10 April 2008, Slovakia has become the ninth country to ratify the new EU Treaty as deputies approved the text by a margin of 103 votes to five - after settling a dispute over a controversial media bill that had dragged on for months.
On 23 April 2008, the Portuguese Parliament has overwhelmingly voted in favour of ratifying the EU’s new Reform Treaty – named after the country’s capital, where it was signed by European leaders last December.
On 24 April 2008, Austria and Denmark approved the text.
On 8 May 2008, Lithuania and Latvia adopted the Treaty.
On 23 May 2008, Germany ratified the Treaty.
On 29 May 2008, Luxembourg gave its green light to the Treaty.
On 11 June 2008, the Finnish, Estonian and Greek Parliaments have ratified the EU’s Lisbon Treaty, just a day before Irish citizens are to cast their vote on the document in a referendum being closely watched across Europe.
On 12 June 2008, Irish have rejected EU Lisbon treaty: No vote won 53.4 per cent of vote with an average turnout of around 54 per cent.
In a first public statement minutes after the Lisbon Treaty referendum results, Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said that the verdict must be respected, but was unclear on whether he would rule out a second referendum on the document.
The European Commission has called for ratification of the Lisbon Treaty to continue, despite a negative result of the referendum in Ireland. In a joint statement, France and Germany also said the process should continue.
What is not clear is how the eight EU member states that have not yet ratified the Treaty will proceed, and what, if any, measures will be taken to broker a compromise with the Irish.
On 16 June, EU Foreign Affairs Ministers will explore possibilities to go forward. Ahead of the summit of EU heads of state and government on 19-20 July, the Foreign Ministers have been entrusted by their governments with the task of trying to come up with a face-saving formula to keep ambitious plans outlined in an 89-page 18-month programme for the French, Czech and Swedish presidencies afloat.
On 19 June 2008, the British parliament has ratified the Lisbon Treaty.
On 3 July 2008, Cyprus has ratified the Treaty.
On 8 July 2008, with ‘yes’ votes in its two chambers, the Dutch Parliament has now approved the Treaty of Lisbon. The Netherlands, which hosted the ceremony marking the signature of the Treaty on European Union at Maastricht in 1992, has thus reasserted its European vocation.
For further information:
Treaty of Lisbon website on Europa
