On Sunday evening, Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) informed the Belgian presidency that the agreement of Federal Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) to the renaturation of the EU would be illegal. Austria’s abstention, which has already been registered under the usual procedures, should therefore be maintained. Otherwise, the Alpine Republic will have to file an appeal for annulment with the Court of Justice.
The Federal Chancellery pointed out that there was a “genuinely negative statement from the federal states and that the necessary agreement between the federal ministries involved was lacking.” Therefore, as in other countries, “the conditions for approval of the current draft are not met.” According to the Federal Chancellery, such an annulment appeal should be brought by the responsible member of the government, in this case Constitutional Minister Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP). A decision by the Council of Ministers and therefore the approval of the Greens would not be necessary.
“Today I address you against the background of current domestic political developments in Austria,” began the letter that Nehammer addressed to Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. The subject is the draft EU renaturation law, which is expected to be adopted on Monday at the Council meeting on the Environment in Luxembourg. “The Republic of Austria has already declared that it will abstain from voting,” the Chancellor continued. “I would therefore like to emphasize that the Austrian Minister for Climate Protection, Leonore Gewessler, should not give her consent to the renaturation of the EU, because according to Article 16(2) TEU she has no right to oblige the Republic to do so. so,” Nehammer wrote.
Source: Krone
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