Czechs welcome proposal on EU treaty
Stefan Fuele, Czech minister for EU affairs.

Czechs welcome proposal on EU treaty

November 10, 2009 at 17:49 | Associated Press
PRAGUE (AP) — Czech President Vaclav Klaus has reacted positively to a proposal from the EU Swedish presidency aimed at overcoming his objections to signing the European Union's crucial reform treaty.

Klaus is the last obstacle to the full ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, designed to increase the European Union's global influence.

Klaus, a renowned Euro-skeptic, is demanding a last-minute opt-out from the treaty's Charter of Fundamental Rights as a condition for signing it. He also is waiting for the Czech Constitutional Court's ruling on whether the treaty complies with the country's constitution.

The presidential office said in a statement Friday that the Swedish proposal "meets the president's expectations and is possible to work on it." No details of the proposal were given.

Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said he welcomed the statement by Klaus. "The presidency will continue to work with this in view of next week's" EU summit in Brussels, he said.