Three hundred and twenty-five lawmakers cast a "yes" vote, five voted against the treaty and 14 abstained from voting.

Speaking at the parliament, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany called the event a "historic achievement."

He said the adoption of the new treaty by EU leaders last week capped a 10-year-long debate over a new charter for EU. According to its schedule, the deal has to be approved by all EU member states before June 2009.

EU's decision makers signed the Lisbon Treaty at a year-end summit in the Portuguese capital on Dec. 13, hoping the "watered-down" version of the failed old EU Constitution would significantly improve the organization's decision-making scheme.

In comparison with its "mother" version, the new deal created the post of a long-term president for the European Council and in the same time, downsized the European Commission, the EU's executive body.

Agencies

Güncelleme Tarihi: 18 Aralık 2007, 12:24