Luxembourg - The Luxembourg parliament voted to approve the European Union's reform accord Thursday, becoming the 15th EU member state to ratify the Lisbon treaty.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso welcomed the move and thanked Luxembourg for its role in negotiating the treaty in its current form.

The 27 EU member states are being asked to ratify the treaty by the end of the year, ahead of elections to the European Parliament in 2009. Ireland is to hold a referendum on the treaty in June - the only country to do so.

The treaty, a complex legal document comprising a string of amendments to previous EU deals, aims to streamline decision-making through increased use of majority votes and creates the offices of an EU president and foreign policy supremo with clout. (dpa)