Europe

The EU Reform Treaty will be transformed into United Kingdom law by an EU Reform Treaty Bill that is expected to be introduced into Parliament early in the New Year.

The Treaty will be formally agreed by Gordon Brown and the 26 other EU heads of state and government at a ceremony in Lisbon next month.

After that, the ratification processes will begin in all member states and are expected to be completed well before the end of next year, allowing the Treaty to come into effect across the community.

The Treaty, which will create the new posts of permanent President of the Council of Ministers and a new foreign policy chief with supporting diplomatic service - as well as abolishing vetoes in around 60 policy areas - will come into effect on January 1, 2009.

Its main aims are to make the EU to punch its weight on the world stage and function better with an enlarged membership of 27.

Ministers will set aside between 16 and 20 days of Parliamentary time for detailed debate on the Treaty. This is in response to cross-party demands for a referendum.

When the Bill enters Parliament, the Tories are likely to table an amendment demanding a referendum in the House of Lords, setting up a potential ping-pong battle between the two Houses.

Responding to the Queen's Speech, David Cameron, the Tory leader, confirmed that his party would continue pressing for the people to be given a say. "We want a referendum now," he said.

More than 110,000 people have signed up to The Daily Telegraph's "Let the People Decide" petition for a national vote.

Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, said: ''By putting the EU Treaty on the legislative agenda, Brown has shown his contempt for the British people by ignoring the deafening calls for a referendum. I hope he faces the mother of all parliamentary battles.''

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