Austria challenges EU competence and budget plans

Austrian Europe Minister Claudia Bauer has called for a reduction in the European Union's long-term budget and a streamlining of its administrative structures. In an interview with the Austrian Press Agency, Bauer argued that the EU has created unnecessary departments for areas that remain the sole responsibility of member states, such as housing, youth, sport, and culture.

Bauer proposed a smaller European Commission and suggested implementing a rotation principle to ensure the institution focuses on genuine EU competencies. She also criticized a proposal by the European Commission to increase administrative and personnel spending by 39 percent, noting that Austria and eight other member states oppose this increase. Bauer stated that such a hike contradicts goals of digitalization and reduced bureaucracy.

Regarding EU expansion, Bauer suggested that if an upcoming referendum in Iceland is successful, Iceland and Montenegro could join the Union simultaneously. However, she noted that negotiations for Ukraine's accession would likely be a very long process. To improve efficiency, she also recommended merging various EU funding programs and utilizing the capital markets union to prevent European savings from being invested outside the EU.