After the "No" that the Irish delivered in June 2008, amended reforms in the Lisbon Treaty by the European Union seem to have satisfied the country, and its voters have approved its ratification by 67.3% of the vote. For the Treaty to enter into force it only needs the positive votes of Poland and the Czech Republic.

The "yes" vote comes 16 months after the treaty was rejected in a first referendum. The Irish government agreed to hold a second vote after EU leaders offered guarantees on national sovereignty and agreed that each EU country would continue to have a commissioner.

All 27 member countries must ratify the treaty for it to take effect. With Ireland now on board, only the Czech Republic and Poland need to complete the ratification process. Only Ireland has had to conduct a referendum among its people in taking forward the Treaty: the rest of the Member States will approve it, or have already passed it in their houses of parliament.

The Treaty of Lisbon, whose first text was approved in December 2007, aims to enhance the EU’s role on the world stage and streamline its decision-making. It will give the Union a legal framework and the tools necessary to meet future challenges and meet the demand of citizens.