Today the Czech Constitutional Court announced that the entire Lisbon Treaty is compatible with the Czech constitution. Now all that remains is for President Vaclav Klaus to sign the Treaty for it to have been ratified by all 27 EU Member States.

"I welcome the court's decision and that we have legal clarity on the Lisbon Treaty. We are now very close to full ratification", says Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. 
"Together with a signature in the Czech Republic the Presidency will continue the completion of Lisbon Treaty preparations".

17 Senators and a President

The Czech Constitutional Court examined parts of the Lisbon Treaty in 2008. After that, the Czech Parliament’s two chambers voted yes to the Treaty. However, at the end of September 17 Czech senators submitted a new request for the country’s constitutional court to examine whether some further parts of the Lisbon Treaty were compatible with the Czech constitution. In addition, the Czech President requested that the Czech Republic be allowed to accede to the same protocol that the United Kingdom and Poland have under the Treaty of Lisbon on the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The Treaty makes this charter legally binding.

Last Thursday at the European Council, the heads of state and government agreed to the Czech Republic’s demand. Now all that remains is the Czech President’s signature. Provided that the Treaty is signed in November, it can enter into force on 1 December 2009.