Lithuania first member state to approve Constitution

Lithuania has become the first member state to ratify the EU
Constitution with its Parliament voting in favour by an
overwhelming majority.

The Lithuanian parliament has approved the text of the EU
Constitution, signed by the European Council on 20 October, by 84
to four votes (with three abstentions). The vote, held on 11
November 2004, means Lithuania is the first EU member
state to ratify the treaty. Only recently had the new centre-left
government taken the decision to put the Constitution to a
parliament vote rather than a referendum (see   EURACTIV 4 November 2004).

In what Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, President of the convention
drafting the Constitution, called “a brave and bold step”,
Lithuania effectively fired the starting pistol for a process in
which all 25 member states have to approve the text either by
parliamentary vote or popular referendum in the coming two
years. 

The Commission has welcomed the outcome of
the Lithuanian vote. “We congratulate them wholeheartedly
for that. It is a very positive development indeed,” said spokesman
Reijo Kemppinen. 

So far, Denmark, Ireland, the UK, France, Spain, Portugal,
the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Belgium,
Poland and Luxembourg have announced
referenda, with Spain expected to go first in February 2005
(see   EURACTIV 6 October 2004). 

The outcome of these referenda is far from certain, especially
in the UK, Denmark, France and the Netherlands. It is as yet
unclear what will happen if the treaty is rejected in one or more
EU member states.

Read more with Euractiv

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