EU: Austria takes over Presidency
01 May 1998
On 1 July Austria took over the Presidency of the European Union from the UK. Its programme on justice and home affairs in the field of legal cooperation includes harmonising the statute of limitations for serious crimes; measures to protect the euro from forgery; continuing work on the Joint Action to combat corruption in the private sector; and trying to finish work on the draft Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters - "including provisions on the interception of telephone communications". In the field of civil law they will start work on a draft Convention on the law applicable to non-contractual obligations (Rome II).
The entry into force of the Europol Convention on 1 October will require a number of measures, as will preparatory work for the new powers to be given to Europol under the Amsterdam Treaty which is expected to come into effect during the following Presidency (Germany). Other policing measures are to include the computerised registration of serial offenders (murder and sexual assault) and the harmonisation of telecommunications equipment.
The Austrian Presidency will also be responsible for "completing" preparation for the incorporation of the Schengen acquis into the acquis communautaire (the Treaty of the European Communities, TEC and the Treaty of European Union, TEU). Plans are to be made for the transfer of the Schengen Secretariat to the General Secretariat of the Council and for the amalgamation of the Schengen and Council Working Parties.
Immigration
In the immigration and asylum field work will continue on the draft Convention on Eurodac; "equitable and mutually supportive arrangements will need to be found for sharing responsibility in the event of a mass exodus of refugees"; and the drawing up of a "uniform deportation agreement between the EU and third countries".
The Austrian Presidency will be taking forward the enlargement process including the adoption and implementation of the justice and home affairs acquis - the first wave of countries are to be Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Cyprus. However, the Austrian government - a Social Democrat/Conservative coalition - has major reservations about the right of free movement for the peoples of these countries which will come with EU entry. The Social Democrat Federal Chancellor says that Austria has a 850-mile frontier with Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovenia and that once the border are opened up to 300,000 "foreign workers" are forecast to move to Austria. They therefore want a long transition period to be enforced on these countries: "We have to recognise the special fears of the people. Austria has the longest land borders with Eastern Europe", said Chancellor Klima.
Austria 1998: Programme of the Austrian EU-Presidency 1998, SN 3268/1/98; Times, 2.7.98.