EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Germany's highest court on Tuesday ruled that the EU's new treaty is compatible with German law, so long as the role of the national parliament in EU decision-making is strengthened.

"The German constitution says yes to the Lisbon treaty, but on a national level the parliament has to have a stronger say in EU matters", vice-president of the German constitutional court, Andreas Vosskuhle, said on Tuesday after reading the verdict.

The German constitutional court says Lisbon treaty can be fully ratified only if national parliament is strengthened

The court in Karlsruhe also said that the treaty and the German constitution would not allow the creation of an "EU federal state" - one of the concerns of the MPs who filed a complaint.

But the 147 page-long ruling suspends the ratification process of the treaty until the new provisions requested by the court come into force.