The European Parliament has voted by 338 to 98 to accept a report strongly critical of the Nice Treaty.
While the report does not recommend rejection of the treaty, it criticises the document for failing to do enough to address democratic deficiencies in the functioning of the EU. In accepting the report, the Parliament backed the federalists' wish to establish an EU constitution.
A majority of Irish MEPs voted for the report, including representatives of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael and Labour's Mr Proinsias De Rossa. Irish Green MEPs rejected it for not going far enough in its criticisms.
The report, by Spanish MEP Mr Inigo Mendez de Vigo and Port uguese MEP Mr Antonio Jose Seguro, states reforms are crucial "to guarantee democracy, effectiveness, transparency, clarity and governability" within the Union. The leader of the Fianna Fail group, Mr Gerry Collins, said the vote sent "a very strong message from the European Parliament that the enlargement of the EU must take place in a structured manner".
Green MEP Ms Patricia McKenna criticised Irish MEPs' acceptance of the report, saying it was "totally hypocritical of all the main political parties to campaign in favour of the treaty at home and be critical of it abroad".