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ienna Summit Focuses on Jobs, Growth and Stability
The European Council meeting in Vienna in December was a difficult summit with a wide range of challenges to address, but agreement was reached on a strategy to tackle the issues of primary concern to the European Union's citizens. The Vienna Strategy builds on a broad debate fostered at the previous Council summit in Cardiff last June and lays out action to be taken in four key areas: employment, economic growth and stability; improving security and the quality of life; reforming policies and institutions; and promoting stability and prosperity. The Council declared that the launch of the euro would enhance Europe's ability to create employment, promote growth and stability adn increase its status as a player on the world's financial and political stages. Employment was identified as the Union's top priority. The Council applauded recent declines in unemployment (which is now below 10% for the first time since 1992), endorsed the EU's employment guidelines for 1999 and expressed its satisfaction at progress toward a European Employment Pact to further reduce joblessness. The Council restated its commitment to reaching an overall agreement on the Agenda 2000 proposals for reform when the next European Council meets in Brussels in March. Agenda 2000 aims to equip the Union with more effective policies, in particular concerning cohesive regional development and agriculture, and to set a financial framework within which to develop them. The implementation of this agenda will enable the Union to ready itself for accepting new members. On this next big challenge facing the Union, the leaders held a thorough discussion of the reforms that must be realised before enlargement. A meeting was also held with the Heads of State and Foreign Ministers of those countries seeking to join the Union. The first wave of new applicants, Cyprus, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, are expected to begin intensive negotiations in the first half of 1999. Preparation for accession negotiations is also underway with Romania, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania and Bulgaria. The reactivation of Malta's application to join the Union was welcomed and the importance of developing relations with Turkey was also stressed. Other areas discussed at the summit included: the environment and sustainable development; justice and home affairs; improving the functioning of the Union's institutions; human rights; and a range of foreign policy issues.
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