Klaus signs EU reform treaty

The president of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Klaus, has signed the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty, the final step in the charter’s ratification. The treaty approval paves way for a stronger EU. Klaus’ decision to ratify the Treaty came after the Czech Republic’s constitutional court rejected a last minute legal challenge from a group of eurosceptic senators and ruled that the Lisbon Treaty does not violate the country’s constitution. This was seen as the removal of the final obstacle standing in the way of Klaus’s signature.  
“I am informing you that I signed the Lisbon Treaty today at 3 o’clock (1400 GMT),” Klaus told reporters in Prague on 3 November.
The treaty, aimed at turning the EU into an influential global player, is now expected to enter into force as of December 1. Prime Minister Jan Fischer also penned his signature on the treaty, meaning the Czech Republic has completed the ratification process.
The announcement was greeted positively. “I welcome that President Klaus has taken the crucial step of signing the instrument of ratification on the Treaty of Lisbon in the Czech Republic. It’s now absolutely clear that the Lisbon Treaty will enter into force soon,” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement. “The road is now open for the consultations on the appointment of the President of the European Council and Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative to begin”, two posts created by the treaty, Barroso said.
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, holder of the EU’s rotating presidency, said he would soon call an extraordinary EU summit to discuss who should fill the new posts. “To finalize the treaty preparations, I will now begin name consultations. As soon as possible, I will also call for an EU summit,” Reinfeldt said in a statement issued from Washington, where he was attending an EU-US summit. The extraordinary summit is expected to take place in British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on 3 November hailed the signing of the Lisbon Treaty by Czech President Vaclav Klaus as an “historic step for all of Europe.” “Today is a day when Europe looks forward, when it sets aside years of debate on its institutions and moves to take strong and collective action on the issues that matter most to European citizens: security; climate change; jobs; and growth,” said Brown in a statement welcoming the completion of the ratification process.
The new EU president is to remain in office for at least two-and-a-half years, replacing the bloc’s current system of six-month rotating presidencies. Former British premier Tony Blair had been tipped as a possible candidate for the post. However, the current prime ministers of Belgium and the Netherlands have since emerged as frontrunners.
Klaus’ signature also unblocked talks on a new European Commission, whose official mandate expired on 1 November. The EU wants the new institutions in place as early as possible. “The European Parliament can now proceed with the hearings of the new Commission as quickly as possible,” said Jerzy Busek, head of the European Parliament. Under EU rules, the European Parliament has the power to vet commissioners-designate and veto their appointment. Busek said parliament would be ready to start hearings as of November 25. The treaty had already been ratified by the remaining 26 EU member states.