German court conditionally OKs EU treaty

KARLSRUHE, Germany, June 30 (UPI) -- Germany's high court ruled the European Union's new treaty and German law are compatible, provided the parliament's role in EU decision-making is bolstered.

The court in Karlsruhe also ruled the treaty, that makes institutional changes to the European Union and the German constitution, would not allow the creation of an "EU federal state," one of the concerns raised by members of parliament who filed the complaint, EUobserver reported.

"The German constitution says yes to the Lisbon treaty, but on a national level the parliament has to have a stronger say in EU matters," Andreas Vosskuhle, vice president of the German constitutional court, said after reading the verdict.

The 147-page ruling also suspended the treaty's ratification process until the new provisions requested by the court were in force, the EUobserver said. The parliament planned to call a special session in August on the matter, German media reported.

Germany's parliament overwhelmingly approved the treaty last year, but the court challenge blocked the final step of ratification, President Horst Koehler's signature.

Ireland, Poland and the Czech Republic also haven't completed the ratification process.