The Dutch Senate approved the Lisbon Treaty on Tuesday, making it the 21st European Union (EU) member state to complete the ratification procedure of the bloc's reform treaty.
Dutch senators voted 60 to 15 in favor of the treaty, signed by leaders of the 27 EU nations last December to streamline the expanded union's decision-making process. The lower house of parliament had approved the treaty on June 5.
The Lisbon Treaty replaces the EU constitution treaty, which was rejected by Dutch and French voters in 2005. The charter requires unanimous approval from all EU member states before it can come into force.
Speaking in the Senate on Monday evening, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said the Netherlands has asked for greater flexibility from EU partners in recent years.
"It befits the Netherlands to complete the procedure in time and to give a resounding 'yes' to the treaty," the De Volkskrant daily quoted him as saying.
Although the new treaty was rejected by the Irish last month, Balkenende said the ratification process in other EU countries should not be affected.
The prime minister said he would not speculate on how EU leaders will deal with the situation, but "breaking open the treaty is not a solution."
Source:Xinhua
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