EU agrees to Czech treaty opt-out
Immigration problem discussed
Video: Reuters
The European Union last night reached a dea to help secure ratification of the Lisbon Treaty but failed to agree on funding for a pact to combat climate change.
EU leaders accepted a demand by Czech President Vaclav Klaus for his country to have an opt-out from a charter on human rights which is attached to the bloc's Lisbon reform treaty, a Czech government spokesman said.
Klaus had demanded the opt-out as a condition for ratifying the treaty. The leaders' agreement is expected to remove one of the last obstacles to the document, which would streamline decision-making and create an EU president.
"The opt-out was approved as presented by the Swedish EU presidency," spokesman Roman Prorok said.
"All the leaders applauded and cheered," said a diplomat from Sweden, which has been negotiating the opt-out on behalf of the EU.
The treaty requires the backing of all 27 member states to go into force. All have ratified it except the Czech Republic.
Klaus wanted an opt-out from the Charter on Fundamental Rights to shield the Czech Republic from property claims by ethnic Germans expelled after World War Two.
Klaus did not immediately react to the EU leaders' decision. He is widely expected to ratify the treaty next month if the Czech constitutional court rejects a legal challenge to the document on Tuesday.
The joy over the opt-out contrasted with the disappointment of many leaders over the failure to agree on funding to help poor countries combat global warming under a deal to be discussed at international talks in Copenhagen in December.
EU sources said the EU presidency would present new proposals on Friday, the last day of the summit.
Failure to agree on the funding would be another blow to the prospects of global leaders agreeing on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol on battling climate change at the talks in Copenhagen.
"They didn't reach any agreement on climate. There was no real advance on any particular solution. They will take another look at it in the morning," said one EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Nine countries in eastern Europe opposed any agreement on how much funding to give developing countries until the EU agrees on internal burden-sharing, the amount each state will provide.
IMMIGRATION
During the summit Malta insisted on new declarations to be agreed by the European Council on migration and asylum.
According to draft conclusions, EU leaders will note “the launch of the pilot project (on burden sharing) for Malta and the concrete solidarity showed by a number of member states in the reallocation of beneficiaries of international protection.”
The conclusions, however, “urge more member states to participate in the project, on a voluntary basis.”
JOBS
The EU leaders also discussed the European economy and the post-recession period, including job creation.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Bundy does not know whether to...
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
Petrol price up 6c
In Discussion
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
Gozo tunnel could take 5-7 years to...
CABS remote controlled aircraft shot...
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Joseph Calleja condemns portrayal of...
Updated: Labour would give...
CABS drone shot down
Second group of migrants arrives
Adrian Vassallo in scathing...
13 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
P.Cassar
Oct 30th 2009, 19:21
Dear Dr. Gonzi, Please note to what extent real politicians go when they have their country at heart. Here in Malta, when the veto was mentioned by Joseph Muscat, the whole cabinet shuddered instead of showing their grit.
CZarb
Nov 10th 2010, 14:59
Oh comeon we should be satisfied with the one liner thrown in the Lisbon treaty regarding this issue. A one liner which had served nothing rather then to keep our gullible politicians happy. Meanwhile since we were not able to strike a deal with Libya similar to the Italian one, we shudder whenever the phrase 'italian general elections' is mentioned. Maybe its time to ask Maroni and co to come and lead us, since our politicians are only good to keep the EU entertained.
colin stanley
Oct 30th 2009, 15:42
I think that Dr. Joseph Muscat, was right when he suggested we use the veto in the EU parliament on the immigration issue, but how come he is not saying much about it now.
mario gellel
Oct 30th 2009, 15:06
DAWK PAR IDEJN SODI, TAC-CEKI. HADU LI RIEDU. MELA TA GONZI. DAN KULL MA HA HU IT-TITLU TA SMILEY.
Colin Camilleri
Oct 30th 2009, 12:43
kieku minn daqshekk posi ghandna kemm inbieghu pero meta nigu ghall-fatti kullhadd iwaqqana ghac-cajt u lanqas jikkalkulana. Dik hi kollha l-EU? Fejn huma l-vantaggi? Mela tajjeb, pajjiz ex-kommunist, ghadu lura bhal granc jirnexxielu tghaddi tieghu - u ahna bis-sagrificcji kolla li qed nghaddu minnhom biex inpaxxu lil Brussels, lil dan il-gvern inkapaci u balla immigranti illegali li qedin hawn genna ta l-art, ahna irridu nbatu u naghmlu tajjeb ghalihom.
Minn daqshekk hadd hlief l-immigranti ma jista jiefqu jghidulna thank you.
J.Tonna
Oct 30th 2009, 11:48
@ d.magro - Ahjar li kien hemm Mintoff ghax kien jgheddidhom tnejn u jwerwirhom!!!
Joanne Micallef
Oct 30th 2009, 10:22
Goes to show how our Government should have used the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty as leverage to get factual help from the EU regarding the illegal immigration saga.
r cutajar
Oct 30th 2009, 10:19
could this lead to discrimination of the very citizens the Czech president is wary of.?
suppose there had to be many citizens affected by this development in a country X would that country approve of this treaty ?
Denis Catania
Oct 30th 2009, 09:37
Voluntary burden sharing will not work. The proof is in the pudding. As long as we keep saying YES SIR to the EU, they will keep saying NO to us. Malta needs to get tough and use their VETO power.
Mario Bonnici
Oct 30th 2009, 08:56
Well done to the Czech Republic.
I agree with you D.Magro. I hope our government starts pressing more on the EU.
Alex Elul
Oct 30th 2009, 08:28
So the EU wants to help third world countries to combat an non existing enemy: climate change, (climate change has been occuring since the birth of the solar system) but does not want to really help the smallest and weakest EU member having the greatest problem in the EU: Illegal immigration. Vaclav Klaus should be lauded by his countrymen for the stand he has taken, more so on climate change politics since he is one of the few political leaders that declares, supported by strong evidence, his skepticism about man-made global warming, which, failing to occur since 1998, is now being conveniently called 'climate change' . The EU members have failed to reach agreement on one point of climate change politics, and the UN will fail to reach global agreement at Copenhagen in December. China and India are seeing to that, having agreed to make a common front against imposition by the UN.
Franco Farrugia
Oct 30th 2009, 08:18
@ d. magro - Af li qed thallat haga m'ohra.
d magro
Oct 30th 2009, 07:23
That`s how we should have bargained the Immigrants issue.....having the need for our vote we should have stand up demanding certain guarantees......ma nafux ninnegozzjaw, fejn hu Mintoff !