PM: Czechs will preside EU in 2009 irrespective of new treaty

Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek has stressed that the Czech Republic will preside the EU presidency in the first half of 2009 as planned, irrespective of the EU's Reform Treaty agreed at a summit in Lisbon on Thursday. The prime minister made the statement despite the fact that the new treaty - if ratified by member states - will come into force on January 1st, 2009. The treaty includes the creation of a new longer-term president of the European Council, meaning the Czechs could lose the opportunity to preside a "full-fledged" presidency. But the Czech prime minister made clear it was evident there will be delays in the naming of officials to new EU posts, meaning the Czech presidency will not be diminished.