Making the most of an historic opportunity

Date: 02/07/1998

The successful launch of the euro and expansion eastward will be the principal objectives of Vienna's EU presidency and beyond as they will determine the fate of the continent in the next century, writes Austrian Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schüssel

AUSTRIA is assuming the EU presidency at an exciting and decisive time for Europe.

The Union is about to implement two major projects which will determine the fate of our continent in the 21st century.

Through the introduction of the euro, Europe is taking an important step towards economic and political union. Through enlargement, the foundations will be laid for stability and prosperity throughout the greater European land mass.

The founding fathers of the European Communities dreamt of a Europe without border checkpoints and foreign exchange offices, of a greater Europe able to overcome the profound east/west division of our continent.

They were not taken seriously at the time. Since then, however, an historic opportunity has arisen for us to turn yesterday's dreams into tomorrow's reality.

The euro will enable Europe successfully to take up the challenges of globalisation. It will improve the functioning of the internal market. It will help to secure employment, provide incentives for the market-orientated structural reforms needed to safeguard Europe's competitiveness, increase the weight and influence of the continent within the global economic framework and strengthen the political cohesion of the Union.

The euro will also contribute to a growing European identity among the different and diverse peoples of the continent. After its introduction as tangible currency in 2002, we will be using the euro every day in ordinary transactions. A symbol of a shared Europe will pass from hand to hand and, given time, we will come to regard the euro as something natural. However, acceptance of the single currency right from the start is a key requisite for this to succeed. Ensuring a successful launch of the euro from 1 January 1999 is one of the most important concerns of the Austrian presidency.

Austria shares almost half of its borders (1,300 kilometres) with four candidates for accession and hardly any other country has as great an interest in the success of enlargement.

If we want to secure the political stability and economic progress of our region on a sustainable basis, nothing will serve this objective better in the long term than the integration of our neighbours into the European Union.

Given the number of candidates and the considerable disparity in economic development between the applicant countries and the Union, however, enlargement needs to be carefully prepared, both by our future partners and by the Union itself, in order to ensure the best possible results for all countries involved.

In parallel with the determined continuation of accession negotiations, the reform of the agricultural and structural policies of the EU, better known as Agenda 2000, and the reorganisation of the Union budget will be important tasks of our presidency.

The Cardiff European Council set a timetable to ensure that final adoption of the Agenda 2000 package of reforms would take place before the elections to the European Parliament in July 1999. Our presidency will therefore have to aim high and seek to make substantial progress at the Vienna European Council in December.

The Union will have to adjust its policies to the conditions now prevailing in Europe and throughout the world and, at the same time, get into shape for the admission of new member states.

In order to cope with these challenges, the Union needs the support of its citizens. Given an average level of unemployment which is still around 11&percent; of the workforce, job creation remains the first and foremost priority in Europe.

The Austrian presidency's main emphasis in this area will lie in promoting equal opportunities for women and men, and combating youth and long-term unemployment through the acquisition of special skills and continued education.

For the first time, economic and monetary union as well as the 15 national employment programmes will be fully taken into account in the employment policy guidelines for 1999 to be adopted in Vienna.

The protection of the natural life of our planet on a sustainable basis is another urgent concern for our citizens. If the high quality of life enjoyed by the population of the EU is to be maintained in the long term, an active environmental policy is absolutely indispensable. Austria will strive for high environmental standards in the Union and advocate that Europe should play a leading role in the negotiations on global environmental problems.

Internal security will also be among the priorities of the Austrian presidency. The Union will have to convince its citizens that open borders do not automatically entail a loss of security. In order to combat organised crime, illegal immigration and drug trafficking, efforts will have to be made to strengthen the operational capabilities of the Union and its member states. A special programme of action is to be submitted to the Vienna summit.

However, internal security can only be permanently guaranteed through external stability. For this reason, the foreign relations of the EU constitute yet another challenge.

It is not enough merely to represent the Union's interests effectively, although this is an important aspect in itself.

With increasing globalisation and a closely meshed network of international connections, nobody can afford to turn his or her back on a crisis. On the contrary, an active role in the prevention of conflicts is more necessary than ever before. Ending the bloodshed in Kosovo is therefore a high priority on our agenda. Furthermore, the situation in Bosnia as well as the Middle East peace process will continue to require Europe's close attention in the months to come.

Fifty years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we wish to give a clear signal in favour of the strengthening of human rights as a factor in international politics.

This also means ensuring protection for the most vulnerable members of our society: children. The fight against abuse and exploitation of children is a particularly pressing concern in this respect.

Six months is a short period. None of the tasks outlined above can be dealt with on a short-term basis. The success of a presidency hinges on close cooperation with its partners.

We will seek their advice and work with them towards a strong and united Europe which serves its citizens well and enjoys their support.

Wolfgang Schüssel is Austrian vice-chancellor and minister for foreign affairs.