Portugal will delay a planned October referendum on the European Union constitution treaty, Portuguese prime minister Jose Socrates said yesterday.
Ratification process to date
(Ref - Vote by referendum
Parl - Vote in parliament)
Rejected: France (Ref), Netherlands (Ref)
Ratified: Lithuania (Parl); Hungary (Parl); Slovenia ( Parl); Spain (Ref); Italy (Parl); Greece (Parl) 2005; Slovakia (Parl); Austria (Parl); Germany** (Parl); Latvia (Parl)
Still to decide: Luxembourg (Ref); Denmark (Ref); Czech Republic (Ref); Britain (Ref); Portugal (Ref), Ireland (Ref); Poland (Ref); Belgium* (Parl); Estonia (Parl); Cyprus (Parl); Malta ( Parl); Finland (Parl); Sweden (Parl)
Notes
* Belgium's two federal chambers of parliament have ratified. The process is expected to be completed in June following votes in regional and community assemblies.
** Germany's president Horst Köhler said on June 15th he would not complete ratification of the treaty until a court ruled on whether the treaty conforms with Germany's own constitution.