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 EU member to ratify The Hague-based tribunal.

The house ratified the treaty 140-6 in a vote that required a majority of 120 votes in the 200-seat chamber. Thirty-seven lawmakers abstained from the vote.

The Czech parliament's upper house, the Senate, approved the ICC's founding statute in July. The central European country signed the treaty, sealed in Rome ten years ago, in 1999.

The court began working in 2002 and has been so far joined by 108 nations, the ICC web site says. But United Nations' Security Council heavyweights China, Russia and the United States have so far refused to participate.

The Czech Republic's upcoming EU presidency provided an extra push toward getting the treaty adopted. The move has been long rejected by the ruling Civic Democrats party of Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek over fears that Czech citizens could be handed over for trials before the tribunal.

Some of Topolanek's pro-Atlanticist conservatives had said that supporting the court could spoil Prague's close ties with Washington. (dpa)