Parliaments, not voters, to ratify new EU treaty

The new European Union treaty has several hurdles to jump before it can become law.

• Ireland, where voters rejected the Nice Treaty in 2001, looks set for another vote next year. "I'm assuming we will have to have a referendum," Bertie Ahern, the Irish Prime Minister, told opposition leaders last month.

Ireland's shock 2001 rejection of the original treaty forced Dublin to seek an amendment ensuring the country could not be dragged unwillingly into EU military action. After obtaining it, a second referendum was held, and a majority voted yes. The Irish would again be expected to vote yes to the new treaty.

• Denmark is another country where a new vote could take place. The Danes have rejected a key EU treaty before in a referendum - the Maastricht Treaty - though approved it in a second vote after Copenhagen obtained an opt-out from the euro and from moves towards a common EU defence. London Telegraph