JURIST - Paper Chase: Poland president refuses to sign EU reform treaty

[JURIST] Polish President Lech Kaczynski [official website] Tuesday refused to sign the EU reform treaty [JURIST news archive], properly known as the Treaty of Lisbon [PDF text; website], saying that to do so would be "pointless" after Irish voters rejected [JURIST report] the treaty in a June referendum. The treaty's future has been uncertain since the Irish vote, as the instrument requires that all 27 European Union member nations ratify it before it can go into effect. In April, the lower house of the Polish parliament [official website, in Polish] voted 384-56 [JURIST report] to approve the EU Reform Treaty. The Upper House approved it the following day. BBC News has more.

Poland had raised numerous objections to the pact during negotiations, many having to do with the proposed Council of Europe voting system, but signed the reform treaty [JURIST reports] along with other EU nations in December. Fourteen countries have ratified the document [JURIST news archive]. In 2005, an earlier draft for a European constitution [JURIST news archive] failed when voters in France and the Netherlands [JURIST reports] rejected the proposal in national referenda.

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