Assmblée Nationale stemt in met uitbreiding EU (en)

The lower chamber of the French Parliament (Assemblée Nationale) voted Wednesday (26 November) in favour of EU enlargement by 505 votes out of 527.

The French MPs gave the green light to a draft law allowing the ratification of the ten accession treaties signed by the ten future member states in April, in Athens.

The French Senate is expected to vote in December. In France, the Treaties are ratified by the head of state, after approval of the draft law by the two chambers of the Parliament.

Three of four political parties represented in L'Assemblée Nationale - the Socialists, the Union pour une Majorité Présidentielle (UMP) and L'Union Démocratique Française (UDF) - voted in favour of enlargement.

Only the Communists were absent from the vote in order to protest against the fact that the text of the future EU Constitution is not yet known and that no referendum has been scheduled for its adoption.