EU to delay anti-Austrian proceedings

Pat Maadi

Question involves quotas for students.
Barroso: Decision likely next week.

Vienna. The European Union has indicated that it is likely to suspend proceedings against Austria over quotas on foreign students wanting to study medicine at Austrian universities for the time being. EU Commission president Jose Manuel Durao Barroso said that a decision would likely be taken next week. The EU is holding a summit this week and it had been hoped that the question could be settled before that time. The Austrian chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer cited a letter from Barroso saying that the proceedings against Austria could be shelved for five years. The chancellor said that would give the government more time to clearly document its arguments in favour of admission quotas. Austria says unrestricted entry to medical schools would lead in the long term to a shortage of doctors in this country.

The Commission would now have more time to decide whether it accepts Austria’s argument, or whether it still regards the university quotas to be against community law.

Printausgabe vom 18.10.2007