“Many suggestions, but not one that unites the 25 Member States”, said Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, speaking on the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Parliament about the current status of discussions on the future of the constitutional process.
“Discussions up to now have been tense. At the European Council, my colleagues asked me to organise an informal meeting on the future of Europe. This demonstrates a first mood swing - a small but not insignificant step”, stated Plassnik and added: “In June, we will not yet be able to give an answer, but we should be clear about how we might possibly go forward.” She announced that this informal meeting of Foreign Ministers on the future of Europe will be held in Austria on 27 and 28 May.
On foreign-policy issues during the Austrian Presidency, Plassnik said: “The world expects us to speak with a single voice. This is not a simple task; it is the fruit of prudent, persistent and collaborative work towards adopting a common stance, such as on the Middle East. Consensus building, as a part of the work of our Presidency, is valued by our partners. Therefore, achieving and preserving commonalities forms a large part of our work that often goes unnoticed. The day-to-day coordination work is the true measure of success for our Presidency”, said the Foreign Minister. “Austria attaches particular importance to close collaboration with the institutions, first and foremost with the European Parliament and the Commission. The successful agreement on the Financial Perspective 2007-2013 is one example”, she continued.
As examples of the momentum injected by the Austrian Presidency, Minister Plassnik cited the “Salzburg Declaration” elaborated in March at the informal meeting of Foreign Ministers on the Western Balkans, the successful EU meetings with China, Russia, India, Indonesia and many other countries, agreement on Switzerland’s cohesion contribution of EUR one billion, and the EUR 139 million made available for Northern Cyprus.
The Presidency’s “hard and largely unspectacular work” was also behind the successful crisis management involving the delivery of gas from Russia and during the cartoon crisis. “The Presidency is not a stage on which to present ourselves, but a service rendered to our partners in the EU and the rest of the world,” said Plassnik, summing up the first half of the Austrian Presidency.
With regard to enlargement, she pointed out that it was due to Austria’s intervention in October 2005 that the ability of the European Union to accept new members was established as an explicit criterion for entry. “Acceptance by the people is essential. We have to win citizens over. I am committed to this cause”, said Plassnik.
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