Cyprus confirms EU Constitution ratification

The government announced yesterday that the instrument of ratification of the EU Constitutional Treaty was submitted by the Cypriot Ambassador to Italy Stavros Epaminondas to the Legal Department of the Italian Foreign Ministry on October 6.

The House of Representatives ratified the Constitutional Treaty on June 30, 2005 without a referendum by a 60% majority, with the communist coalition party AKEL voting against.

The Cyprus Republic belongs to the states which are not obliged to ratify the Treaty through a referendum.

The EU constitution is in limbo following its rejection by voters in France and the Netherlands. Member states that want to keep the constitution alive are encouraging each other to continue the ratification process.