Chamber takes first step towards Lisbon Treaty ratification

The Chamber of Deputies has supported ratification of the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty in the first reading. The treaty replaces a failed EU constitution and will come into effect during the Czech Republic’s presidency of the bloc in the first half of 2008, if all 27 member states ratify it by the end of the year. However, the Czech Parliament may not actually vote on ratification for several months, and possibly not until the autumn. Meanwhile, the largest party in the governing coalition the Civic Democrats want the Constitutional Court to rule on whether the treaty is in line with the Czech constitution before a final decision on the matter.