EU News – French senators adopt constitutional change for EU treaty

   PARIS, Jan 30, 2008 (AFP) – French senators adopted Wednesday a revision of
the country’s constitution to allow a new EU reform treaty to be ratified by
parliament, despite criticism that it should be voted on in a referendum.
   The measure’s adoption — by a vote of 210 to 48 with 62 abstentions —
clears the way for its final adoption by both houses on February 4.
   With the lower house, the Assemblee Nationale, having also approved the
measure by a large margin two weeks ago, its adoption is nearly assured.
   That would allow the Assemblee Nationale to vote on February 7 on the EU
reform treaty, followed by the Senate.
   Senators from the opposition Socialist Party abstained from voting as their
counterparts did in the Assemblee Nationale, arguing the EU treaty should be
ratified by referendum.
   Signed in Lisbon last month, the EU charter aims to streamline
decision-making of the 27-member bloc, replacing a more ambitious EU
constitution that was rejected by French and Dutch voters in referendums in
2005.

AFP