BELGIAN SENATE APPROVES LISBON TREATY

UNCLAS BRUSSELS 000357

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL BE
SUBJECT: BELGIAN SENATE APPROVES LISBON TREATY



1. (U) On March 6th the Belgian Senate voted to approve
the Treaty of Lisbon, 48 to 9 in favor with 1 abstention.
Although many senators expressed reservations about certain
aspects of the treaty, only members of the right-wing,
Flemish nationalist party, Vlaams Belang (VB),voted against
the treaty.


2. (U) The Senate is the first of seven legislative bodies
that must approve the treaty before it is ratified. The
treaty will next go to the House of Representatives where, if
passed, it will be sent to the five regional and community
parliaments for their approval. All of the legislatures must
vote up or down on the treaty as presented by the Foreign
Minster. No amendments or additional reservations are
permitted by the Belgian constitution. If all seven bodies
approve the treaty, as is expected, the process will conclude
when the King issues a pro forma degree affirming the
ratification of the treaty. Outgoing Prime Minster Guy
Verhofstadt says he expects the treaty to be ratified before
summer.

Bush
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