(Adds comments from Klaus in paragraphs 9-10)
By Jan Korselt
BRNO, Czech Republic, Nov 26 (Reuters) - The Czech
Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday that the EU reform
treaty conforms with Czech law, removing an obstacle to its
ratification in a country about to take over the EU presidency.
If approved by all European Union member states, the Lisbon
Treaty will limit individual EU members' powers in some
decisions, and give the union a permanent president and a more
powerful foreign representative.
The ruling allows parliament to proceed with ratification, a
process that had been held up by a constitutional challenge
raised by the Senate, the upper house of the Czech parliament.
But it does not entirely rule out further legal challenges
and does not guarantee smooth passage through both houses of
parliament.
Failure to ratify the treaty so far has raised doubts in the
EU about the performance of the 6-month Czech EU presidency,
starting in January.
"It is good news for us and for all of Europe," Foreign
Minister Karel Schwarzenberg told Reuters. "Despite the delay
that occurred, all doubts raised by the Senate were dispelled,
the Lisbon Treaty is not in conflict with the constitutional
order, and let us be grateful for this certainty."
The treaty faces opposition from some government
backbenchers, backed by President Vaclav Klaus, a eurosceptic
who rejects any transfer of national powers to the EU.
Klaus made it clear the ruling was not the end of the road.
"I must say with regret that the court...did not deal with
my legal arguments properly," he told reporters after the
ruling. "I expect that some group of deputies or senators will
raise these arguments again."
Klaus, whose signature is needed to complete ratification,
said on Tuesday he would not stand in the way of the treaty if
all other countries -- including Ireland -- agree to it.
This position is similar to that of Polish President Lech
Kaczynski, who has said he will wait for an Irish 'yes' before
inking the document.
Political analyst Tomas Lebeda did not expect a smooth and
quick Czech approval even after the court decision.
"On the one hand there is the pressure of our EU presidency
... but on the other hand there are still very influential
factions within (the ruling) Civic Democrats that are against
the Lisbon Treaty," he said.
EYES ON CZECHS AND IRELAND
Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, who also dislikes the treaty
but has grudgingly backed it as a price worth paying for EU
membership, has said ratification is unlikely to be completed
before January, when the Czech EU presidency starts.
Topolanek has said some of his party's deputies may refuse
to support Lisbon unless the leftist opposition backs plans to
build a U.S. anti-missile defence radar in the Czech Republic.
The Czechs are the last EU country that has not put the
treaty to a vote. It has been approved by 25 members, although
ratification still needs to be completed by presidential
signatures in Germany, where the top court is also reviewing the
document, and Poland.
Ireland is the only member state that has rejected the
treaty -- in a referendum earlier this year.
The Irish government is expected to tell its European
partners next month how it wants to proceed. It has said it may
ask the Irish people to revisit the question.
European Affairs Minister Dick Roche told national radio
station Newstalk: "The decision by the Czech constitution court
today is really very interesting -- it is the latest in a long
series of positive decisions on the Lisbon treaty".
He said it was unlikely Irish voters could reverse their
'no' vote ahead of European Parliament elections in mid-2009.
"In practical terms it is going to take a long time to satisfy
all of the queries the Irish people have raised."
(Additional reporting by Jana Mlcochova and Jonathan Saul in
Dublin, Editing by Diana Abdallah)
