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EU treaty decision to be postponed to October AFP BRUSSELS (AFP) - EU leaders will postpone a decision on the future of the bloc's Lisbon Treaty, after Ireland's voters rejected it, to their next summit in mid-October, according to a draft statement Friday. But the document, prepared for a European Union summit in Brussels ending later Friday, sidestepped the issue of what exactly should be done by the seven countries that have not yet ratified the text, in the face of stern Czech opposition. "The European Council agreed to Ireland's suggestion to come back to this issue at its meeting of 15 October 2008 in order to consider the way forward," said the statement.
(Article continues below) In it the leaders noted that while 19 EU nations have ratified the treaty, meant to streamline the way the bloc operates as it expands, they "agreed that more time was needed to analyse the situation." "The ratification process continues in the other countries," said the only reference on whether to forge ahead, in a document which could yet change in what is expected to be a day of political wrangling. It made no reference to the importance the leaders attach to the treaty, nor did it send a strong signal that the seven remaining countries were united in their determination to press ahead. Irish voters rejected the painstakingly assembled charter in a referendum a week ago, sparking a new period of EU turmoil as all 27 countries have to endorse the document for it to come into effect.
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