Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik presented the programme for the Austrian Presidency before the Constitutional Affairs and Foreign Affairs Committees of the European Parliament on Tuesday. The Minister took the opportunity to discuss in detail with European parliamentarians two central themes of the Austrian Presidency: the debate on the future of the EU and relations with the West Balkans.
“It is greatly to the credit of the European Parliament that it launched a very broad debate on the future of the EU at a very early stage. Here, it is not only a question of how to deal with a text, but how it affects the European project overall - people’s expectations, causes for concern and what we can achieve together to allay concerns and create a stronger feeling of trust”, explained the Foreign Minister.
“Together, we recognise that there are no simple solutions, tricks or short cuts we can employ to alleviate the noticeable lack of trust between Europe and its citizens. Now, we must clearly indicate the path we all wish to follow together. To set the ball rolling, I explored new directions during the first week of January. This should create a common and well-coordinated plan to enable us to move forward together”, emphasised the Minister.
Minister Plassnik also touched on the transparency required in EU legislation, which is an important step towards building trust for Europe’s citizens. On the basis of the far-reaching improvements adopted by the Council in December, the Austrian Presidency will ascertain whether further steps to create openness and transparency, including a change to the Council’s agenda, are feasible.
The Minister outlined to the Foreign Affairs Committee the wide range of foreign-policy tasks the Presidency will be facing in the months ahead. “The further consolidation of European prospects for the West Balkan States forms part of the historic reconstruction of the European continent”, stressed the Minister, who also referred to the region’s high expectations of the EU. “It is in our own very best interests to guarantee the long-term stabilisation of this region. We shall achieve this aim only if the EU proves a strong and trustworthy partner in all pending issues, such as the future of Kosovo and the state union of Serbia and Montenegro. A region plagued by insecurity and instability situated between Italy and Greece cannot be in our interest”, underlined Minister Plassnik.
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