EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The Czech EU presidency is to begin the complicated task of providing the legal guarantees for the political concessions that Ireland has received on the rejected Lisbon Treaty. Work will soon begin between Irish lawyers, the legal services of the Council (representing member states) and the European Commission, to firm up EU promises to that the treaty will not affect Irish neutrality, abortion or tax laws. The Lisbon treaty was signed in 2007, but ratification is proving harder Europe ministers meeting in Prague on Thursday (8 January) had a brief discussion on how to proceed with the pending EU charter, which Ireland rejected in a referendum last June. Irish Europe minister Dick Roche used the gathering to stress the importance of putting the concessions in legally watertight language. He also told counterparts that reflections about when to hold a referendum on the treaty - an issue of burning interest to other member states - were well advanced, an EU diplomat said.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The Czech EU presidency is to begin the complicated task of providing the legal guarantees for the political concessions that Ireland has received on the rejected Lisbon Treaty.
Work will soon begin between Irish lawyers, the legal services of the Council (representing member states) and the European Commission, to firm up EU promises to that the treaty will not affect Irish neutrality, abortion or tax laws.
The Lisbon treaty was signed in 2007, but ratification is proving harder
Europe ministers meeting in Prague on Thursday (8 January) had a brief discussion on how to proceed with the pending EU charter, which Ireland rejected in a referendum last June.
Irish Europe minister Dick Roche used the gathering to stress the importance of putting the concessions in legally watertight language.
He also told counterparts that reflections about when to hold a referendum on the treaty - an issue of burning interest to other member states - were well advanced, an EU diplomat said.
