By Jonny Dymond
BBC News, Brussels
**European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso is due to meet Czech PM Jan Fischer to discuss progress towards ratification of the Lisbon Treaty.**The Czech Republic is one of two EU members not to have ratified the treaty so far.
Poland is expected to complete ratification in a few days’ time.
The treaty aims to streamline decision- making and boost the EU’s role globally. It must be ratified by all 27 EU states if it is to come into effect.
British factor
Slowly and not very steadily, the Lisbon Treaty is limping towards ratification.
Following the Irish “Yes” vote at the weekend, only the Polish and Czech presidents have yet to sign. Both their respective parliaments have passed it.
But both men are hostile to the treaty.
Mr Fischer will discuss the situation with the European Commission in Brussels, but he has little influence over Czech President Vaclav Klaus.
Meanwhile, the Polish president’s office has said that he will sign the treaty within a few days.
Politicians across Europe want the treaty ratified swiftly so as to get the new structures within it up and running.
They also want to eliminate the possibility that any new British government might reverse the country’s ratification of the treaty.