Path clear for treaty as Czechs sign

THE way was finally cleared for the Lisbon Treaty to come into force when Czech President Vaclav Klaus signed the document yesterday hours after his country’s Constitutional Court cleared it.

A special summit of EU leaders will be held, possibly next week, to nominate the president of the European Council and the foreign minister, both posts created by the treaty.

The European Commission will also be pushing the remaining handful of countries, including Ireland, to nominate their commissioner in the coming days.

Klaus, having refused to sign the treaty that had been ratified by both Czech houses of parliament, had promised to do so provided the court ruled in its favour and the country got an opt-out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights attached to the treaty.

The opt-out was agreed to at the leaders’ summit last Thursday and yesterday the court found that the document was in keeping with the constitution.

It also said the Irish guarantees did not require that each country re-ratify the treaty.

Leaders agreed last week that the permanent president of the EU Council will be more of a chairperson than a “Mr Europe” and consultations are under way to find the right person for the job. Former British prime minister Tony Blair’s bid has failed and the spotlight is on less prominent figures. Several diplomats are now reporting that consensus is building for Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy.

The job of foreign minister is still open and the name most frequently mentioned is British foreign secretary David Miliband, who as a member of the Socialist group has an advantage.

Ireland is one of six member states that have still not announced a nominee for commissioner. Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso is anxious to have all the names and start allocating portfolios.

He has requested that member states consider nominating women as up to 15 of the 21 countries that have already named their commissioner have put forward men.

A government spokesperson said there was a decision made at yesterday’s cabinet meeting.

If, as expected, a special summit will be held on Thursday week, Taoiseach Brian Cowen is likely to name his announcementafter next week’s cabinet meeting.

The favourite is still former justice minister Máire Geoghegan Quinn, who has been Ireland’s member of the EU Court of Auditors based in Luxembourg for the past nine years.

Ireland made a case for a new portfolio called Innovation with some of the massive €50 billion research budget included, but others are arguing that Mr Cowen should seek the Agriculture job given that the budget and reforms will be decided during the five-year life of the new commission.

The European Parliament will hold hearings, currently set for November 24, when they will question the commission nominees whom they must approve before they can be appointed.

The treaty, after eight years of negotiations and consultations, is finally expected to come into force on December 1. It will increase the powers of the parliament, giving them a say in areas where countries lose their veto and, among other changes, will set up an EU foreign policy service.