wien

9.04.2024 15:32

(Akt. 9.04.2024 15:40)

Nehammer wants a more competitive EU ©APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH

Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) called for more competitiveness for the European Union at the congress of around 1,600 EU local councils on Tuesday in Vienna. This is a central issue for the EU, which is dependent on exports; competitiveness is “the guarantee for the future of the Union,” said Nehammer. The EU should “regulate less, allow more”. The USA has “become a significant competitor again” through its IRA economic stimulus program.

Austria in particular is an export nation, where every second job depends on exports, said the Chancellor. However, the 27 EU member states have very different challenges. “The art of European politics is not centralism and egalitarianism, but rather embracing diversity.” This idea of ​​a “union of diversity” was already inherent in the EU founding fathers. Even today, solution skills should be left on site.

Nehammer also called for corrections to trade agreements to guarantee fairness in global competition. European producers would often be at a disadvantage compared to cheap Chinese products that are subsidized by the state, said the Chancellor. This is “an imbalance” that “urgently needs to be corrected.” The World Trade Organization (WTO) should also be held more accountable in this regard. At the same time, the EU must further develop its internal market in order to become less dependent on exports.

On the question of different social standards in Europe, Nehammer said that the former communist Eastern European states should raise their own social standards themselves because then internal migration in the EU would also decrease. But he is against any kind of centralism because otherwise there would be a risk that standards would be leveled downwards.

“Environmental protection and climate protection must go hand in hand with the question: how does the European Union maintain its competitiveness?” continued Nehammer, who called for “environmental and climate protection with common sense”. When asked by a participant in the audience what he wanted to do about the disappearing winter sports tourism as a result of climate change, the Chancellor said that tourism is important for Austria, but at the same time the greatest added value comes from entrepreneurship and industry. “Climate and climate change is global,” which is why alliances with countries like China and India are needed, and the EU and Austria are working on this.

In response to another question from the audience about why Austria had blocked the EU supply chain law, Nehammer said that it had the right intention but incorrect implementation. Small businesses could find themselves in liability situations that overwhelm them. In addition, corporations would withdraw from Africa, where a decline in investment would be extremely dangerous.

EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn (ÖVP) said he supported reducing bureaucracy, “but we all have to do it together.” Many EU laws are becoming more complicated because the European Parliament expresses a lot of wishes. The many reporting requirements can now only be handled with artificial intelligence (AI).

Hahn, like Europe Minister Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP), called on the EU local councils to encourage people to take part in the European elections. 80 percent of the regulations are based on European agreements, so it is important who is there in Brussels and Strasbourg. “Going (to the election, note) is the least, every vote counts.” Brexit would not have happened if young Brits had gone to the ballot box to the same extent as old people, said Hahn.

Former EU Enlargement Commissioner Hahn also spoke out in favor of admitting the Western Balkan states as well as Ukraine and Moldova into the EU. However, without internal reforms, enlargement will not work. Ukraine is seen by many as a burden today, but in the future it could become a “crown jewel of the European Union” that drives the European economy forward.

Edtstadler emphasized: “Europe begins in the community.” The cross-party initiative of the EU local councils has existed in Austria since 2010 and goes back to the former Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger (ÖVP). In 2022, the project was taken up by the EU Commission and expanded across Europe.

2024-04-09 11:11:53
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