Strasbourg  - Ahead of its scheduled summer summit in Brussels, the European Union called Wednesday for the ratification process of the Lisbon Treaty to continue despite its rejection by Irish voters last week.

Slovenian State Secretary for European Affairs Janez Lenarcic said at the European Parliament in Strasbourg that he was confident a solution to the crisis could be found together with Ireland.

Slovenia currently holds the rotating EU presidency.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso called on the EU heads of state and government to take time at Thursday and Friday's summit in Brussels to find a consensus together with Ireland.

Representatives of the largest factions in the European Parliament also called for the ratification process to continue, while the Social Democrats warned of a "crisis of trust" in the EU institutions.

It was worrying that all the major Irish parties had called for a yes vote and the electorate had still voted no, Social Democrat faction leader Martin Schulz said during the debate.

The EU's governments had to find a common response to this crisis of trust, he said.

"One way or another, we will bring the Irish back on board," he said. (dpa)