AUSTRIAN PRESIDENCY LOOKS SOUTH

The Austrian EU presidency has taken on a jam-packed agenda for enlargement and external relations. The main priority will be the Western Balkans, but the issue of Turkey’s EU membership bid will also carry significant weight.

For the second time since its accession in 1995, Austria holds the EU's rotating Presidency during the first six months of 2006. The country is known to be one of the strongest critics of the EU's further enlargement.

Regarding external relations and enlargement, the main focus of the Austrian Presidency will clearly be the Western Balkans region. Vienna will strive to offer a “clear European perspective” to the countries of south-east Europe in line with the Union’s so-called Thessaloniki agenda.

On 10 and 11 March 2006, the Austrian city of Salzburg will play host to an informal Gymnich meeting of the foreign ministers of the EU-25 and the Western Balkans states. The high-level gathering will look at ways to enhance political and economic co-operation and development between the EU and the Western Balkans, and issues such as visa facilitation will also be on the agenda.

The Commission is scheduled to present monitoring reports on Bulgaria and Romania’s accession progress in April or May 2006, ie during the Austrian Presidency. Based on these reports, it will fall on Austria to either propose to the Council to work toward the accession of these two candidates on 1 January 2007 or to preside over the postponement of their accession by one year if preparations are found to be incomplete in certain key areas.

The so-called screening process is bound to continue for Croatia and Turkey throughout 2006, and the Austrian Presidency will oversee progress.

“Romania and Bulgaria should be able to join the [EU] by 2007, or 2008 at the latest, while membership for Croatia and Macedonia should follow soon after,” said Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel.