Lisbon’s proposals for ending the row between Austria and its EU partners over Vienna’s diplomatic isolation hit a stumbling block yesterday (28 June) because of arguments over deadlines

Date: 29/06/2000

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres said there was still no agreement on how to proceed. Under the strategy drawn up by the presidency, the 14 governments which unanimously imposed sanctions on Austria in protest at the far-right Freedom Party's entry into governnment would appoint a three-strong wise men's committee to assess Vienna's commitment to "common European values" and examine the behaviour of the Freedom Party. But Austria is unhappy that the proposal contains no deadline for the panel to complete its work.