Czech Constitutional Court approves EU treaty

The Czech Republic's Constitutional Court has endorsed the EU reform treaty, ruling it is in line with the country's constitution.

The decision removes the last obstacle to the treaty's ratification. The agreement will give the European Union its first long-term president and streamline decision-making in the bloc of 27 states.

The Czech Republic was the only EU member state that had not yet approved the pact, which needs the consent of all member nations to come into force.