(Repeats story published late on Wednesday)
By Robert Mueller
PRAGUE, Feb 18 (Reuters) - The lower house of the Czech
parliament approved the European Union's reform treaty on
Wednesday, an important step towards its full ratification.
Government and opposition deputies approved the Lisbon
treaty, which aims to streamline the EU's decision-making in the
wake of the expansion of the bloc, by 125 votes to 61.
The treaty must be approved by all 27 EU member states to
take effect and has yet to be approved by the Czech upper house,
where it could face weeks or even months more of delays.
Many senators from the ruling right-wing Civic Democrat
(ODS) party say the Czech Republic must first ratify a separate
plan to host a U.S. missile defence shield radar base.
Most EU member states have adopted the pact and the Czech
delay has irked some. They have pressured Prague, which holds
the bloc's presidency until the end of June, to adopt the
document quickly.
"I am glad the Lisbon treaty made it through the lower
house," Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said after the vote.
"The next battle will be in the Senate. We still have our
congress declaration that ties (it) to ratification of treaties
with the United States," Topolanek told reporters.
He said parliament also had to approve legislation that
would clip the government's power -- granted by the Lisbon
treaty -- to give up national authority to the EU in certain
areas without prior approval by legislators.
The vote in the lower house won raise from European
Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
"This is an important signal of the parliament's commitment
to Europe at a time when the Czech Presidency is working with
dedication and competence to lead the European Union," he said
in a statement, adding he hoped Senate approval would come soon.
The pact suffered a major blow when Irish voters rejected it
in a referendum last year, and Ireland plans to hold a new vote,
possibly in October. It also faces a court challenge in Germany
and has not been signed by the Polish president.
The pact would give the EU a long-term president and a
stronger foreign policy chief, and would take away individual
countries' veto rights in some areas.
SENATE STALEMATE
Some ODS members voted against the pact, saying it would
infringe national sovereignty, and some have even threatened to
quit the minority administration if the treaty passes.
The Senate, controlled by the Civic Democrats and their
centrist allies, has delayed debate on the Lisbon treaty until
at least April, with the ODS demanding the lower house quickly
pass the missile defence plans.
But the radar plan's chances of a swift passage appear
remote, as the government lacks a majority in the lower house
and the opposition Social Democrats are against the scheme.
In addition, U.S. President Barack Obama has been cooler on
plan than the previous administration. Some Civic Democrats have
said they could drop their demand for the shield's ratification
if Obama puts the missile defence rollout in Europe on ice.
Senate Chairman Premysl Sobotka of ODS said he believed
ratification could go through by May if the parliament agreed on
the legislation on limiting transfers of national authority. He
did not mention the missile treaties.
"The ratification process has begun and will be completed
during the spring," he said.
Even if the treaty passes through both chambers of
parliament, eurosceptic President Vaclav Klaus could delay a
pact he sees as a step towards a European superstate.
Klaus has hinted he might not sign the text until Ireland
overturns its rejection of the treaty.
(Writing by Jan Lopatka; editing by Andrew Roche)
