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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KPAO AU
 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: April 14, 2008 
 
Court of Audit Criticizes Climate Protection Policy 
 
¶1. A preliminary report of the Austrian Court of Audit sees 
considerable shortcomings in the climate policy during the past few 
years. Austria emits about one third more CO2 than allowed and the 
tendency is growing. Only half-hearted measures were taken in the 
sectors of transportation, industry and restoration of buildings and 
much money is being wasted that way. Minister for the Environment 
Josef Prll's reaction to the report was the announcement of a new 
law which is going to address the problems by specifying more 
concrete goals and sanctions in case of non-compliance.  [ORF 
online, Der Standard, 2] [more] 
Instead of the projected 68.8 million tons of CO2 emissions, 32 
percent more were emitted in 2006 - 91.1 million tons. This 
generates enormous costs:  There is considerable increase of 
climate-related damage. With regard to the progress made in reaching 
the Kyoto targets, Austria is second-last in comparison to other 
European member states.  The report is especially critical about the 
role of the provinces when it comes to taking measures against 
climate change, writes independent daily "Der Standard" in a 
thorough analysis. Measures are largely on hold and there is no 
coordination among the different Austrian provinces, criticizes the 
daily. This is seen, among other things, in the restoration of old 
building substance which, if carried out effectively, could lead to 
massive energy savings. On the whole, the Court of Audit's report 
also comes to a critical assessment of the climate strategy of the 
federal government:  The climate strategy of 2002 was already 
partially outdated then had has been continued through 2007, while 
at the same time, the permissible emission levels were raised. 
Looking at these facts, the report concludes that it is "unlikely 
that the targets will be reached if the current strategy is 
continued." The report also warns that Austria now has to act 
quickly if it wants to avoid paying a penalty for its lax climate 
policy:  The EU could initiate charges against Austria for having 
violated the Kyoto Protocol as early as 2010, but definitely as of 
¶2012. 
 
Four Billion Necessary for Tax Reform 
 
¶2. In an interview with mass circulation tabloid "Vsterreich," 
economic expert Bernhard Felderer, the head of the Institute for 
Higher Studies, contradicts the coalition parties, which are 
planning to spend no more than 2.7 billion euro on the tax reform 
that is scheduled for 2010. According to Felderer, however, over 
four billion would be necessary to obtain a tax relief of 300 to 400 
euros per person and thus make the reform effective for the tax 
payers. The argument of the government that there is no money for a 
more comprehensive reform Felderer dismisses with the 
counterargument that really successful reforms always entail some 
debt. According to the economic expert, the goal of a reform has to 
be to increase the purchasing power of the consumer and boost 
investments.  [Vsterreich, p. 9] 
 
860 Million Go to EU 
 
¶3. ...warns anti-EU oriented mass circulation tabloid "Neue 
Kronenzeitung" and specifies in this respect that this sum 
constitutes a 500 million increase versus last year's payment. This 
hefty increase is attributable to the Eastern enlargement, which 
increases overall EU spending and the fact that the new countries 
get more money in subsides than the financially more prosperous 
"old" member countries. Quoting a report of German newsmagazine 
"Focus" as its source, the tabloid also points out that the EU will 
have to pay much more for a potential Turkish membership than was 
originally calculated.  [Neue Kronenzeitung, p. 1 and 3] 
 
Nussbaumer Case Revisited 
 
¶4. Political weekly "Profil," in its latest issue, presents so-far 
unpublished material in a detailed reconstruction of the hostage 
case involving the Austrian Bert Nussbaumer and his American 
colleagues who had gone into Iraq in 2006 as employees of the US 
security firm "Crescent Security."  [Profil, pp. 77] 
As a result of detailed research and using so far not accessible 
sources the political weekly "profil" reconstructed how the US 
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Austrian government 
together with special task forces of the army, Crescent Security and 
Mark Koscielski, a weapons dealer form Minnesota, who was friends 
with one of the kidnapping victims, all tried to do anything they 
can to solve the case and liberate Nussbaumer and his colleagues - 
and how this undertaking failed without the rescuers and the 
kidnappers actually intending this. The weekly establishes that a 
crisis team of the Austrian Foreign Ministry set up a network of 
contact points - from the US embassy or the Office for Hostage 
Issues in Baghdad to more or less influential persons in Iraq. 
"Profil in particular stresses the intensity of Austrian-US contacts 
during the search for the hostages and the attempts to get them 
free. Agents of the Army News Office, together with Crescent 
Security, pursued all the leads they got. Foreign Minister Ursula 
Plassnik and her US colleague Condoleezza Rice were in direct 
contact over the case. In the final analysis, the weekly concludes, 
nobody can really say why contact between kidnapper and the 
authorities was never established. According to Paul Chapman, a 
spokesman for "Crescent Security," the firm never received any 
demands for ransom from the kidnappers and he stressed the fact that 
he knows of no such demands being addressed to the Austrian 
government. The kidnapping case is "in the end an unsolvable 
mystery." The failure to get the hostages free unharmed was perhaps 
attributable to "misunderstandings, perhaps to stupidity, 
coincidence, and the muddled situation in the occupied civil war 
country Iraq," concludes the weekly. 
 
Khaddafi Leaves Traces in Mali 
 
¶5. Libyan investment in Mali is extensive - Libyan companies have 
invested millions in the country, and in other African regions as 
well. Libyan head of state Muammar al-Khaddafi has become a synonym 
of his country.  [Der Standard, p. 5] 
According to independent daily Der Standard," which quotes Libyan 
journalist Mamary Fofana, "most Libyan activities are now focused on 
developing the northern part of the country." There, Libyan plans to 
play an important role politically. Lately, it tried to secure peace 
in the region of Kidal. Representatives of the Tuareg rebels and the 
government met in Tripoli at the beginning of the month on Libya's 
initiative in order to negotiate a possible end of the months-long 
conflict. However, although an agreement was signed according to 
which the captured Mali soldiers are to be freed and the army is to 
retreat into its barracks, the agreement has been seen by most 
observers as a failure. The Libyan role in northern Mali is not 
uncontroversial, writes the daily. Due to family connections, 
Khaddafi has always presented himself as a friend of the Tuareg. 
There were rumors that he also supported the Tuareg rebels in Niger. 
"It is not to be ruled out that Khaddafi engages in double-dealing," 
says a Professor of International Relations at the University of 
Bamako, who is quoted by the daily under the condition of anonymity. 
 
 
Low Voter Particpation Expected in Italy 
 
¶6. On Monday, 15 pm, the voting booths will close down in Italy and 
experts predict a low turnout due to widespread exasperation on the 
part of the voters. No matter who gets to be elected, right-wing 
conservative Silvio Berlusconi or Walter Vetroni, candidate for the 
leftist Democratic Party - he will be facing considerable problems: 
high debt, an ailing health system and a low wage level.  [ORF 
online, other Austrian media] 
 
The Cabinet of Feminist Zapatero 
 
¶7. ... titles independent daily "Der Standard" in reference to the 
new cabinet of Spain's Prime Minister Jose Zapatero where, for the 
first time, women outnumber men by 9 to 8. Also for the first time, 
Spain will have a female Minster of Defense, Charme Chacon, a 
37-year old expecting mother, who was formerly Minister for Housing. 
 [Der Standard, p. 3; other Austrian media] 
 
Zimbabwe's Opposition in the Defensive 
 
¶8. At a meeting of the heads of state and government of the Southern 
African Development Community (SADC) in Zambia on the weekend, the 
participants uttered no criticism of the ruling regime of Robert 
Mugabe in Zimbabwe. This was a blow to the country's opposition 
leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who had hoped for backing of his claim to 
take over as head of state in Zimbabwe. The SADC members only urged 
for a speedy verification and publication of the election results. 
[Kurier, p. 6] 
 
Pope to Visit Country of His (Worst) Dreams 
 
¶9. ... headlines centrist daily "Die Presse" with reference to the 
impending papal visit to the US. The Pope's trip is to commence on 
Tuesday and will last six days during which Benedict XVI will visit 
Washington and New York and speak before the United Nations. He will 
meet with President George W. Bush several times and speak with the 
representatives of Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims. The visit is not 
just aimed at promoting the Catholic Church in the US, but also the 
Pope himself, of whom 80 percent of Americans know only very little. 
Die Presse, p. 6] 
The US is in a state of eager anticipation of the papal visit and 
so, probably is the Pope himself, writes centrist daily "Die 
Presse." Referring to an analysis of the US news magazine "Time," 
the daily points out that, after all, nowhere do faith and religion 
play as great a role as they do in the US - understandably, this 
appeals to the Pope, who is confronted with the "crisis of faith" in 
Europe - as "Time" calls it. However, "Die Presse" also points out 
the many nightmares which the Vatican has suffered in past years due 
to sexual abuse cases involving US Catholic priests. Since 2002, 
hardly a year has gone by without new scandals surfacing. In the 
run-up to the Poe visit, American Catholic Church representatives 
have indicated that the Pope will probably address the scandals in 
one of his speeches, but did not plan to meet with the victims of 
the priests that had caused the scandals. 
Kilner