EU Constitution

The Lisbon Treaty, which will recast the European Union's decision-making processes, received a key endorsement Tuesday in the Czech Republic.

The treaty moved closer to EU-wide acceptance when the Czech constitutional court delivered its imprimatur, which means Czech President Vaclav Klaus is now likely to sign it. The Czech Republic is the only EU member to not have ratified the pact.

If that signature comes from Klaus, the Lisbon Treaty could be in effect by the end of the year. It was designed to streamline the way EU leaders made decisions. Ratification overcame complaints on some fronts that some national sovereignty of members would be lost to the European Union. If it works as intended, supporters claim, the European Union will have additional clout on the world stage.

One of the most visible changes for the EU, under the Lisbon Treaty, would be the establishment of a European Council president, a post that holds a 2 1/2-year term, making that person the face of the leadership of the European Union. While, as written, the president's job description doesn't have much true power, it is believed that whoever is in the position could mold the presidency into something more powerful.