The EU Lisbon Treaty's rocky road
(BRUSSELS) - Here are the main events in the European Union's troubled efforts to agree on the reforming Lisbon Treaty, which enters force on Tuesday:
June 19-20, 2003: A draft constitution prepared by experts led by former French president Valery Giscard d'Estaing, is presented to EU leaders meeting in Salonika, Greece.
June 17, 2004: A treaty establishing a constitution for the bloc is adopted by EU heads of state and government at a Brussels summit.
Oct 29, 2004: The treaty on the European constitution is signed in Rome by EU leaders.
May 29, 2005: French voters reject the draft European constitution in a referendum with 54.7 percent against.
June 1, 2005: The Dutch reject the constitution, 62 percent voting against.
June 17, 2005: European Union leaders call for a period of reflection. Several countries suspend their decision to organise a referendum or ratify the text through parliament.
June 23, 2007: EU leaders strike an agreement for a new treaty of reform to replace the doomed constitution, after overcoming Polish resistance.
December 13, 2007: The Treaty of Lisbon is signed. It will have to be ratified by all 27 member states before it can enter into force.
December 17, 2007: Hungary becomes the first country to ratify the new treaty. It is followed by most of the other 27 EU nations.
June 12, 2008 : Ireland votes against the treaty in a referendum.
Oct 3, 2009: Irish voters back the treaty in a second vote, after receiving a series of guarantees including on military neutrality, tax and abortion laws.
Oct 10, 2009: Poland's President Lech Kaczynski signs the treaty in the wake of the Irish referendum, finalising ratification in his country.
Nov 4, 2009: Eurosceptic Czech President Vaclav Klaus gives his long-awaited final seal of approval to the treaty, after Prague is promised an opt-out from the charter of fundamental rights.
Nov 19, 2009: EU leaders choose Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy as the bloc's first president and name Britain's EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton foreign policy supremo, two new posts created by the treaty.
December 1, 2009: The Lisbon Treaty enters into force.
Text and Picture Copyright 2009 AFP. All other Copyright 2009 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.
