Prague - The Czech parliament's lower house Wednesday approved a treaty establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC), a body set up to punish war crimes and genocide.

The Czech Republic, which takes over the European Union's six- month rotating presidency on January 1, was the last European Union member to join The Hague-based tribunal.

The house ratified the treaty in a 140-to-6 vote that required a majority of 120 in the 200-seat chamber. There were a number of abstentions.

The upper house, the Senate, approved the ICC's founding treaty in July. The Czech Republic signed the treaty, sealed in Rome ten years ago, in 1999. (dpa)