EU's Barroso confident of treaty ratification after court ruling

(BRUSSELS) - European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso expressed confidence Tuesday that the EU's reform treaty would be ratified across the bloc by autumn, following a court ruling in Germany.

"I welcome the judgement of the German constitutional court," he said in a statement. "It confirms that the Treaty of Lisbon is in conformity with the German constitution."

"I am confident that we can complete the process of ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon in all countries by the autumn," he said.

The German constitutional court ruled Tuesday that the treaty could not be ratified in Germany until legislation has been put in place to safeguard national parliamentary powers, following a legal challenge.

"If one wanted to summarise this result, one could say: the constitution says 'yes' to the Lisbon Treaty but demands that parliament's right to participation be strengthened at the national level," the court said.

Barroso said he believed the ruling "has cleared the way for a swift conclusion of the German ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon, and I welcome the intentions already stated in this respect by German legislators."

The vast treaty of reforms aims to streamline decision-making in the EU and give the bloc a stronger voice on the world stage. It has been ratified by 23 of the 27 member nations but all must do so for it to enter force.