Speaking at a gathering of the NGO, the Lisbon Council, on 13 March, finance minister Grasser, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, said that "protectionism really is a danger for the EU." He called on the Commission to push forward a competitiveness agenda. If it does not, the price will be "lower growth", he warned.
Referring to the takeover battles of recent weeks in which France has sought to block the takeover of the power and water company Suez by Italy's Enel SpA, and Spain has similarly moved against the acquisition of the power company Endesa SA by Germany's E.ON AG, Grasser said that the manoeuvrings were "just unacceptable".
He said that the Lisbon strategy is generally the right idea, but the priorities need to be re-orientated to increase growth and employment and "turn words into deeds."
In spite of his general praise for greater competition in the EU, Grasser did not announce that Austria will lift the restrictions imposed on the free movement of labour from the new member states. With low unemployment Austria still considers itself at risk from neighbouring countries which according to Grasser have much lower wages.
Continued Franco-Italian talks over the Suez merger have led to new tensions and there is no solution in sight.
