Plassnik: voorzitterschap is een gezamenlijke prestatie (en)

Foreign Minister reviews the Austrian Presidency

"Above all, we experienced the Presidency as a team effort", declared Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik at the joint press conference with Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel and Vice-Chancellor Hubert Gorbach to take stock of the Austrian Council Presidency.

"We have undertaken our work in the Presidency role with great dedication and skill and adopted a realistic approach", said Plassnik. One particular ambition was to work in a spirit of partnership, deliberately focusing on the citizen and the citizen's concerns and anxieties. "After the initial fright and the grieving, we got Europe moving again. Our aim was to restore the force and cohesion of the 25 Member States and to strengthen the European feeling of togetherness", declared Plassnik, referring to the issue of the Constitution and the debate on the future.

"On matters of enlargement and the Constitution, the Austrian Presidency has done the groundwork. Here, there are no miracle cures - sober and objective work is required. The Austrian Presidency has set a new direction - a Europe of concrete projects and results has been launched, and the Constitutional Treaty kept intact", said Plassnik.

"Moreover, Austria has also provided vital impetus. With the concept of the European way of life, we have introduced a positive term into the debate on Europe. This term is helping to make it clear `what things are worth to us'. This became evident, for instance, in the dispute over the Danish caricatures and in the discussion on the detention facility in Guantanamo. On the topic of migration and integration, as well as on the promotion of SMEs in the realm of growth and employment, the work of the Presidency has generated vital impetus," added Plassnik.

In terms of the common foreign policy, the task was to manage a complex and multi-voiced process among the Member States of the Union. "There is great demand for the voice of Europe to be heard in the world both inside and outside the EU. In recent months, Europe has presented a united front to the rest of the world. With difficult topics too, the European Union quickly adopted a unanimous position, though not without its rough edges," said the Minister.

From the Balkans to Belarus and the Middle East, as well as in terms of the EU's Africa strategy, Plassnik reported that Austria had steadfastly done the background work and presented the EU's positions to the rest of the world. Over the past six months, 121 Presidency declarations have been delivered, and there have been numerous interventions in the realm of human rights, for instance aiming to protect the defenders of human rights who find themselves under threat.

As far as the Western Balkans is concerned, Plassnik reported that progress had been made `with each and every partner in the region'. Here, Austria had made a vital contribution; the Minister also referred to the numerous initiatives of the specialist departments aiming at greater integration and concrete collaboration with the countries of the region.

In conclusion, the Foreign Minister also thanked all those who have contributed to the success of the Austrian Council Presidency - the staff at the Foreign Ministry and Austria's representations abroad, the Ministries and regional States, the social partners, the Austrian armed forces and the forces of law and order - for their exemplary work. "The aim of keeping the burden on the population to a minimum was fundamental," declared Plassnik.