President Tajani calls for ambitious #AustrianCouncilPresidency that delivers citizen-centred reform

European Parliament President Antonio Tajani (pictured) met Austrian Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on 3 July before he presented and discussed the new Austrian Council Presidency’s priorities to MEPs in the plenary.

After the meeting and debate, President Tajani said: “The key test for the success of the Austrian Presidency will be its capacity to solve the main concern of European citizens:  migration management. On behalf of the European Parliament, I call on the Austrian Presidency to do its outmost to unblock long-awaited asylum system and work closely with us to finalise it as soon as possible. There is no need to wait for those who never wanted to make progress in the first place. The Treaty is clear: if needed, the decision can be taken by qualified majority. I am confident that Chancellor Kurz will deliver on the presidency´s motto: a Europe that protects. A Europe able to provide effective action and more than just words.

“I also call on Austria to prioritise Africa during its presidency. To strengthen border control and to address the root causes of migration we need to invest more in this continent through the Trust Fund for Africa and the European Fund for Sustainable Development. We count on Austria to be a dealmaker, advancing the EU long-term budget negotiations so that we can adopt it before the next European elections.

“We will work closely with the Austrian presidency on their other priorities: securing prosperity and competitiveness through digitalisation, and stability in the European neighbourhood achieved through an EU perspective for the Western Balkans/South Eastern Europe. I look forward to working together to deliver a stronger and more effective Europe.”

To watch the press conference with Chancellor Kurz and Commission President Juncker, please click here.

To access the Austrian presidency programme, please click here.

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