Prague - Czech President Vaclav Klaus signalled Friday his desire for an opt-out on the Fundamental Rights charter that is linked to the European Union's Lisbon Treaty before he ratifies the pact. As of Saturday, Klaus may be the last one whose signature will be required for the treaty - which aims to boost EU's global standing through reforming its institutions - to come to force.
"I understood that his request is getting for the Czech Republic a similar arrangement as it is for Poland and Great Britain in the ratification of the charter of the fundamental rights," European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek told journalists after meeting Klaus in Prague.
Speaking later at a press briefing, Buzek would not say whether Klaus's request for "a similar arrangement" amounted to an opt-out from the rights charter, which Poland and Britain negotiated for themselves before the treaty was signed by member states in December 2007.
Klaus first hinted at his intention to put forward a new hurdle to the treaty's ratification on Thursday in a telephone conversation with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country currently presides over the EU. Reinfeldt later told reporters that Klaus was seeking "a footnote" related to the rights charter.
Czech government sources said that the announcement came as a surprise. Foreign Minister Jan Kohout's reaction showed that he had no knowledge of what the president wanted.
After their Friday talks, Buzek said that the Czech president did not tell him the exact wording of the desired footnote. The new head of the EU's legislature would also not say why Klaus was seeking it.
Poland sought the opt-out out of a fear that the charter could force the largely Catholic country to adopt gay marriage, while Britain worried that the charter could impact the country's labour law.
Czech Eurosceptics have opposed the rights charter as a document that could open way to property claims by the so-called Sudeten Germans, whom then-Czechoslovakia expelled after World War II ended in 1945.
Under national law, the Czech Republic does not allow the expellees to seek restitutions. Lisbon Treaty opponents have claimed that the rights charter would enable them to sue for the property seized more than 60 years go.
The Czech government, which has supported the Lisbon Treaty, has repeatedly rejected those claims.
Buzek said that Prague would first need to submit a proposal on the desired arrangement to the EU and the remaining 26 members would have to agree to it at the upcoming EU summit in Brussels.
"It is quite obvious that it should be approved by 27 countries and a decision must be taken by the independent Czech Republic," he said.
"We do not know yet what would be the final decision on the Czech Republic's part," Buzek said, who is set to meet with Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer later Friday.
Buzek said it was impossible to say whether such an arrangement would require a new round of ratification by EU member states.
But he also said that he was optimistic that the matter would be solved and described his meeting with Klaus as "honest and frank" and conducted in "a good atmosphere."
The treaty, which must be approved by all 27 member states to become valid, also awaits Polish President Lech Kaczynski's signature, which is scheduled for Saturday. The EU hopes the pact can come to force on January 1.
