Czech parliament's lower house is due to start debating the European Union's reform treaty on December 9, an official said Monday, according to dpa. Lower house speaker Miloslav Vlcek called an extraordinary session on the Lisbon Treaty at the request of the opposition Social Democratic Party, which backs the charter. The Czech Republic, which assumes the EU presidency on January 1, is the last member state to vote on the accord, which has been stalled since Irish voters rejected it in a June referendum. The country's Constitutional Court ruled elements of the treaty in line with Czech law on November 26, opening the door to its ratification in the Czech parliament.
