UK vote will impact European Council meeting, says Vondra

Meanwhile, the Czech deputy prime minister for European affairs, Alexandr Vondra, said discussion about ratification at a European Council summit on Thursday would be influenced by a vote in the British Parliament on Wednesday. The House of Lords is expected to vote to accept the Lisbon Treaty; that would make things slightly different than after the French and Dutch rejections of the original EU constitution, Mr Vondra said. He did not say what position the Czech Republic would adopt at the European Council meeting.

The Treaty of Lisbon is due to come into effect on January 1 next year, the day the Czech Republic takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union. Implementation of the reform document requires its ratification by all 27 EU members.

Author: Ian Willoughby