Czech PM sees EU treaty in force this year if court agrees

(BRUSSELS) - Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer said on Thursday his country would ratify the European Union's Lisbon Treaty by the year's end if the text gets a go-ahead from top judges next week.

The treaty cleared a major hurdle Thursday as the EU agreed on an exemption to it as a final condition by eurosceptic Czech President Vaclav Klaus, the last EU leader holding out on signing the text.

"I would like to assure you that if the constitutional court on November 3 rules the Lisbon Treaty is in line with the Czech constitution, there will be nothing to prevent a fast completion of the ratification," said Fischer.

"The Czech Republic will (then) ratify the treaty so that it could take effect by the end of the year," he told reporters in Brussels.

The Czech Republic is the only EU country that has not endorsed the treaty, which is designed to streamline governance in the 27-nation bloc and which must be ratified by all member countries to take effect.

Klaus angered his EU partners when he sought an opt-out from the treaty three weeks ago, after Prague's parliament had already ratified it, in what his critics took as a fresh attempt to delay its adoption.

Klaus said he wanted to ensure the treaty would not allow ethnic Germans forced out of former Czechoslovakia after World War II for Nazi collaboration to reclaim their property.

London and Warsaw already have such opt-outs -- ensuring for Britain that EU laws and courts will not prevail over its judicial system, and for Poland that it would not be forced to allow gay marriages.

"Vaclav Klaus has acknowledged the text (of the opt-out approved on Thursday), he was informed about all modifications made today and he doesn't have a problem with them," said Fischer.

He added the exemption was "the same that Poland and Britain had negotiated earlier... the extent is the same."

"This exemption will be ratified in all EU countries along with the next accession treaty," said Fischer.