Saturday October 24, 2009

INTERVIEW - EU parliament head sees Lisbon in place year-end

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The president of the European Parliament said on Friday he expected the Lisbon reform treaty to come into force before the end of the year, although he acknowledged there were risks to his assessment.

The charter is pending ratification by the Czech Republic, the only country in the 27-nation block which has yet to sign.

European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the House of the European Union in Vienna October 16, 2009. (REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader)

"It's my personal opinion: I can say that it's a very high probability that we will have our Lisbon Treaty in place at the end of this year," President Jerzy Buzek said in an interview.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus wants an opt-out from a charter attached to the treaty, saying he wants to shield the Czech Republic from property claims.

Klaus hopes to secure approval for the opt-out at an EU summit in Brussels next week.

Klaus has held off signing the treaty into law, saying he must wait for an Oct. 27 ruling from the Czech Constitutional Court on its legality.

"I expect that some solution is possible, in my opinion. I'm optimistic about the whole issue," Buzek said.

However, he voiced concerns such a deal could "bring problems in other member states".

If more countries decide to try to negotiate footnotes to the charter, its entering into force may be further delayed.

"We would like to have a solution proper for the Czech Republic and for President Klaus to sign the Lisbon Treaty. But of course we wouldn't like to have problems in other member states," he said.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said last week he may ask for an opt-out clause too, if the Czechs succeed.

"That is an additional obstacle," Buzek said, adding he would discuss the matter with Fico during a visit to Bratislava on Nov 17-18.

Buzek said it was important a new European Commission -- the EU executive which once the Lisbon Treaty takes effect will include a powerful foreign policy high representative and president -- come into place as soon as possible.

But he voiced little hope new commissioners be nominated at next week's summit. "Honestly, it will probably be very difficult to have the names at the end of October."

Buzek suggested that in view of the summit's loaded agenda -- which includes trying to agree on common stances ahead of a U.N. climate conference in December -- it might be an option for the Swedish EU presidency to call for a further meeting to consider the make-up of the new commission.

"It might be that an extraordinary council will be needed."

The parliament, Buzek said, could be ready to vote on a new commission on Dec. 16. "But that is a best-possible scenario, for if everything goes very quickly and in the best possible way."

(Reporting by Anna Ringstrom; Editing by Matthew Jones)

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