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Slovenia and Malta ratify the EU Treaty
30.01.2008, 14:46
On 29 January, Slovenia, currently chairing the Union, became the second member state to ratify the new EU treaty in its national parliament. Hungary was the first. Out of 90 MPs, 74 voted for the treaty and only 6 members of a small right-wing Slovene National Party voted against after previously tabling a proposal for a referendum on the issue, rejected by other parliamentarians. Slovenian Prime minister Janez Janša said he expected at least 20 of the 27 EU member states to ratify the treaty by the end of June and others to do so by the end of the year, stressing that one of Slovenia's jobs as EU presidency country was to "carefully monitor ratification procedures."
A little while later on Tuesday, Malta became the third country to ratify the document, with its parliament voting unanimously to approve a motion of ratification put by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.
"I find it particularly symbolic that each of the first
three countries to approve the new Treaty are member states that joined the
European Union in 2004," European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso
said in reaction to votes.
He added, "This shows that enlargement is an inspiration and impetus for
the future development of European integration.