"The Lisbon Treaty has now been ratified by 19 states. I think it is important for all the member states to express their opinion" on the reformed treaty, and "I ask all the countries to continue the adoption process": José Manuel Barroso welcomes "with satisfaction" the go-ahead that arrived last night from the British Parliament to the Treaty, which last week had been defeated by the Irish voters. A "strong message", coming as the 27 heads of state and government of the EU are about to meet to discuss the future of such Treaty. Actually, the European Council will open the meeting this afternoon and will go on until tomorrow. The Slovenian presidency sent to the leaders of the member states a letter with the schedule of the summit. "Following the result of the Irish referendum writes Ljubljana’s prime minister, Janez Jansa , it is important for us to show that the Union will go on and will keep going the way of progress". Therefore, the institutional issue is back on the agenda, but Jansa insisted for Brussels not to neglect the issues that concern "the citizens’ life": the agenda will include the escalation of food prices, the rising cost of oil, Slovakia’s accession to the euro-zone, the situation of the Western Balkans.
