In the run-up to the decision on the EU's twelfth sanctions package against Russia, EU diplomats reported that the Austrian federal government had lobbied the RBI. This has not been officially confirmed. Chancellor Carlos Nehammer (ÖVP) denied at the EU summit that there was a connection. The summit's decision on the sanctions package was taken with Austria's consent, he said on Friday afternoon. “The sanctions were therefore accepted. The RBI was definitely not an issue at the Council of Heads of Government yesterday.”
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The Chancellor explained Austria's “revision reservation” against the twelfth sanctions package, saying the latest version was only delivered on Thursday. A council spokeswoman said on Friday that Austria had withdrawn this “review reservation” and agreed with the conclusions. This paved the way for a formal decision by EU ministers.
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