Poland's senators to vote on adopting new EU treaty

Poland's senators have opened a debate before their vote on empowering the president to ratify the new EU treaty.

The 100-member upper house of Parliament is expected to muster the required vote of two-thirds of lawmakers to allow President Lech Kaczynski to ratify the treaty, which streamlines the way the 27-nation EU is run.

The lower house approved ratification Tuesday, following a deal between the government and the opposition-linked president that ended weeks of squabbling over opposition demands for additional regulation guaranteeing Poland's sovereignty within the union.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged the senators before the vote Wednesday to approve the ratification.