*  *  *  Ladies and gentlemen, I should like to thank the organisers for the opportunity to participate in this Conference in Vienna. This city has often been regarded, and rightly so, as a cultural bridge between the Member States of the European Union and the so-called candidate countries preparing for EU accession.
Vienna already provided a stimulating backdrop to the discussion of issues related to accession about one month ago. In mid-December 2000, the Eurosystem (i.e.