Czech Constitutional Court starts assessment of Lisbon Treaty

The Czech Constitutional Court has started its assessment of the Lisbon Treaty, Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra said on Wednesday. The deputy prime minister said that he expected the court to make its final decision on the constitutionality of the treaty by this autumn. According to Mr Vondra, the Czech government supports the Lisbon Treaty, which sets down a new framework for the European Union and the way it is run. But, he said, the cabinet is not ruling out the possibility that the treaty will not be ratified by the end of the year. All EU member states must ratify the treaty for it to take effect. According to factions within the government, the Czech Republic’s delayed ratification of the treaty could lead to it being viewed as a ‘problem-state’ by other EU members.