The citizens of Ireland are voting Thursday in referendum, whose results are unpredictable, to decide on the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty.

Ireland is the only one of the 27 member states to hold a referendum on the new EU Reform Treaty as this is required by the country's constitution.

The Lisbon Treaty has already been ratified by 18 EU members, including Bulgaria, but it does need the approval of all 27 states to enter into force.

The likelihood that the Irish voters might reject the Reform Treaty has revived fears of repeating the 2005 situation when the citizens of France and the Netherlands rejected the EU Constitutional Treaty in referendums.

According to recent polls, the results in the Irish referendum are expected to be rather close and it is impossible to say which side will prevail.

In 2001 the Irish voters did reject the EU Nice Treaty with 54% voting against it but approved it later in a second referendum.

The Lisbon Treaty contains most of the reforms, which were included in the EU Constitutional Treaty, aiming to improve the procedures for the functioning of the Union institutions.

The Lisbon Treaty provides for reducing the number of EU Commissioners from 27 to 18, for increasing the range of decisions to be taken with qualified majority voting in the Council as opposed to unanimity, for reducing the number of MEPs, and to establishing the position of EU President.

The reforms will serve to enable the EU to react more quickly and adequately to global issues in the field of security, energy, migration, and climate change.

If the Irish voters don't reject it, the Lisbon Treaty is expected to enter into force in January 2009.

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