State of ratification of EU's Lisbon Treaty

(BRUSSELS) - Germany's top court on Tuesday suspended ratification of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, until legislation has been put in place to safeguard national parliamentary powers.

The court voiced confidence that "the last barrier for adopting the ratification document will be cleared" with the parliament planning to hold a special session in August to approve the necessary changes.

Germany is one of four EU nations which have not yet fully ratified the reforming treaty.

The main hurdle to ratification remains in Ireland, where voters rejected the text at a referendum a year ago.

Ireland is set to hold a second referendum on the treaty in October.

All 27 EU member states must ratify the treaty if it is to come into force.

Ireland was the only country constitutionally-bound to hold a referendum on the subject. The other 26 nations have chosen to use the parliamentary route.

The treaty, aimed at streamlining the EU's workings to take into account its mainly eastwards expansion, had been scheduled to come into effect in January of this year.

Treaty supporters still hope it may be possible to bring into force a year late.

EU member state which has rejected the text:

Ireland: Irish voters rejected the treaty at a referendum on June 12, 2008 with 53.4 percent voting "no".

Speculation is focusing on a second referendum date of October 2, after Ireland received assurances from European counterparts at an EU summit in Brussels.

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)

Luxembourg (May 29, 2008)

Estonia: (June 11, 2008)

Greece: (June 11, 2008

Cyprus (July 3, 2008)

The Netherlands (July 10, 2008)

Belgium: (July 10, 2008)

Spain (July 15, 2008) :

Britain (July 16, 2008)

Italy: (July 31, 2008)

Finland (September 12, 2008)

Sweden (Nov 20, 2008)

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

Poland: approved by parliament on April 2. Poland's eurosceptic President Lech Kaczynski still has to sign the ratification act, saying he would wait for the Irish vote and then decide.

Czech Republic: The upper house has taken the matter to the constitutional court to check if the text confirms to national laws.

Eurosceptic Czech President Vaclav Klaus has said he will wait until the very last minute before deciding whether to sign the treaty. That means after the outcomes of the legal challenges in his own country and Germany, as well as the second Irish referendum and the stalled signature of Polish President Lech Kaczynski.

Germany: Germany's top court said Tuesday additional national legislation was needed before the treaty could be ratified.