Lisbon treaty approved by Denmark, Austria

(COPENHAGEN) - The Danish and Austrian parliaments ratified the European Union's Lisbon Treaty on Thursday, taking to 11 the number of countries to approve the plan to revamp decision-making in the 27-member bloc.

Former Eurosceptic Denmark voted overwhelmingly to back the treaty, while Austria's upper house of parliament replicated the lower house which gave its green light two weeks ago.

However, Austrian President Heinz Fischer has still to put pen to paper on the document, and has said he will not do until he has considered the objections of deputies from left and right -- with no timescale set out on that process.

In the Czech Republic, meanwhile, the country's upper house voted Thursday to refer the treaty to its constitutional court to examine six points where aspects of sovereignty are deemed by some to be transferred to Brussels.

Prague will hold the rotating six-month EU presidency from January 1, 2009, and Senate president Premysl Sobotka said he expected formal ratification by the end of 2008.

Denmark's Folketing voted 90-25 in favour of adopting the treaty, with no abstentions -- which was quickly welcomed by European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso.

Danish voters had scuppered a predecessor, the Maastricht treaty, in a 1992 referendum.

Barroso also paid tribute also to the Austrian parliament for its "swift approval," adding: "The ratification process is now well advanced and I look forward to its successful conclusion so that the Treaty can enter into force on January 1, 2009."

The Lisbon Treaty, negotiated under Portugal's EU presidency and signed in the Portuguese capital, replaces the EU constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in referendums in 2005.

All 27 member states must ratify the treaty for it to be enacted, which the bloc hopes to achieve by the end of the year so that the issue does not interfere with campaigning during elections to the European Parliament in 2009.

Ireland is the only EU country which will put the treaty to a referendum.

Denmark was granted four exemptions from the EU in December 1992 -- on the euro single currency, defence policy, judicial cooperation and European citizenship -- after citizens rejected the Maastricht Treaty in a referendum.

The opt-outs enabled the government to organise another plebiscite in May 1993, after which the treaty was adopted.

On Tuesday, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the government may call a referendum later this year -- perhaps in the European autumn -- on one or several of its exemptions.

According to the commission, the Lisbon Treaty has now been approved by the parliaments of Denmark, Austria, Hungary, Malta, Slovenia, Romania, France, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia and Portugal, which did so on Wednesday.

However, like Austria's parliamentary backing, Poland's accord must be signed by its president to be formally adopted.