(Xinhua) -- The Netherlands will press ahead with ratifying the European Union (EU)'s Lisbon Treaty although Irish voters had said "No" to it, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said Friday. He said the result of the Irish referendum is disappointing but will be discussed by EU leaders next week when they meet in Brussels, Dutch media reported. Any statements before then would be premature, he added.
The lower house of the Dutch parliament approved the treaty on June 5 and the upper house is due to complete its deliberations before the summer.
The Lisbon treaty replaces the European Constitution Treaty, which was rejected by French and Dutch voters in referenda in 2005.The new treaty is supposed to amend existing EU treaties and to make the 27-nation bloc more efficient and democratic. Had all EU member countries ratify it by the end of this year, the Lisbon Treaty would come into effect on January 1 next year ahead of elections of the European Parliament.