EU leaders have agreed a deal they hope will secure the Lisbon Treaty a "Yes" vote in a second Irish referendum.

Ireland won legally-binding assurances that Lisbon would not affect Irish policies on military neutrality, taxes and abortion, diplomats said.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said leaders had agreed to Irish demands that the guarantees would be given the status of a treaty "protocol". But he stressed it would not affect the other 26 member countries.

The leaders have also agreed in principle to a new framework of rules to oversee the EU's financial sector. On Thursday they backed Jose Manuel Barroso for a new term as president of the European Commission. Speaking at the end of the summit, Gordon Brown said the agreed protocol was "specific to Ireland".

He went on to say, "The protocol status is no different from any other clarifications in other states," he said. He said the new protocol would "only be subject to ratification at the time of the next accession treaty". He did not give further details, but it is thought it will likely be attached to Croatia's EU accession treaty.

The Lisbon treaty has been ratified in most EU countries and the second Irish referendum - expected to be in October - was the biggest remaining hurdle. Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen had said fears that the EU might be able to override Irish policies were among the factors that prompted voters to reject the Lisbon Treaty in a referendum last year.

Supporters of the treaty - a complex set of institutional changes aimed at making the enlarged EU more efficient - were keen to avoid any new round of referendums on it, after years of negotiations. Sweden, the incoming holder of the EU presidency, was anxious to move forward over Lisbon, especially as Britain's Conservative Party has pledged to hold a referendum on the treaty if elected to government.

Popular Alliance Comment

Here we go again. The EU machine will never take "No" for an answer. They will trick, con, spread fear and more all to get a "Yes" vote.

Added is the pressing point that if the Tories are elected they will hold a treaty which surely Britian will reject. What's the betting that somehow they will do all they can to push as much through as possible whilst Brown is in power then once the Tories take over they will claim that the referendum is not legally binding.