(BRUSSELS) - As European Union leaders met Thursday, 19 nations had ratified the embattled Lisbon Treaty in parliament, but Ireland's rejection technically leaves the text a dead letter.

All 27 EU member states must ratify the treaty if it is to come into force, and Britain became the latest to do so just hours before the summit in Brussels.

Ireland was the only country to ratify by a referendum -- an obligation under its constitution -- whereas the other 26 nations ratify by a vote of approval in their parliaments.

The treaty, aimed at streamlining the EU's workings to take into account its mainly eastwards expansion, had been scheduled to come into effect next January, a deadline which is now very unlikely to be kept.

EU member state which has rejected the text:

Ireland: Irish voters rejected the treaty at a referendum on June 12 with 53.4 percent voting "no".

The countries that have ratified the treaty by parliamentary vote in chronological order:

Hungary (December 17, 2007)

Slovenia (January 29, 2008)

Malta (January 29, 2008)

Romania (February 4, 2008)

France (February 14, 2008)

Bulgaria (March 21, 2008)

Austria (April 9, 2008)

Slovakia (April 10, 2008)

Portugal (April 23, 2008)

Denmark (April 24, 2008)

Latvia (May 8, 2008)

Lithuania (May 8, 2008)

Germany (May 23, 2008)

Luxembourg (May 29, 2008)

Estonia: (June 11, 2008)

Greece: (June 11, 2008

Britain: (June 18, 2008)

plus:

Finland: Treaty approved by parliament on June 11. President Tarja Halonen has three months to give her stamp of approval.

Poland: approved by parliament on April 2. Poland's eurosceptic President Lech Kaczynski still has to sign the ratification act.

The countries where ratification is still in progress via the parliamentary route:

Belgium: The treaty has passed the two houses of parliament (the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies) and it now has to gain approval in the five regional and community assemblies.

Cyprus: The treaty will be put to parliament in July.

Czech Republic: The member state which, apart from |reland, could still cause the biggest problem for the ratification process. The upper house has taken the matter to the constitutional court to vheck if the text confirms to national laws.

Since the Irish "no" vote, eurosceptic President Vaclav Klaus has stated that it will be impossible to pursue ratification.

Italy: The new government of Silvio Berlusconi on May 30 submitted a draft law to parliament.

The Netherlands: The parliament adopted the treaty text on June 5 and now it must go before the senate.

Spain: parliament is expected to ratify the treaty in September. Foreign Minister Miguel-Angel Moratinos has said the text should be ratified ahead of the next EU summit in mid-October.

Sweden: Swedish parliament is expected to ratify the treaty in November.

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