Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs (Press Release)
(03/09/2007)

Positive Report on the Fund’s First Year of Performance
Klasnic: Eighty projects amounting to a total of approximately. 2.5 million euros
Vienna – Commenting at a press conference on the Future Fund’s first year, the Chairman of the Board of the Republic of Austria’s Future Fund, former Provincial Governor Waltraud Klasnic, and the Fund’s Secretary General, Ambassador Dr. Richard Wotava, submitted a positive report on the Fund’s first year of performance.

“So far we have processed 120 project applications, 80 of which have been approved, amounting to a total of 2.5 million euros,” said the Chairman of the Board. The Future Fund, which is financed from funds remaining after the former Austrian Reconciliation Fund concluded its work at the end of 2005, is in a position to support projects of up to 2 million euros annually,” said Secretary General Wotava.
Most of the projects approved deal with the Nazi regime and its consequences, but there were also interesting projects on the threat posed by other totalitarian systems, emphasized Klasnic.

The Chairman drew special attention to the efficient, swift and unbureaucratic work of the members of the Board and of the Project Promotion Council who all work on an honorary basis, volunteering a considerable part of their leisure time to study the sometimes very extensive project documentation.

Wotava explained that the meetings of the two bodies are held jointly every month, while as a rule the Board takes its decisions on the applications within three months of their submission.
“Because of the variety of interesting projects and the excellent cooperation exhibited by colleagues at the Fund, I am looking forward to my future activities as Chairman of the Future Fund’s Board,” concluded Klasnic.

Contact for further inquiries:
Secretary General Ambassador Dr. Richard WOTAVA
Future Fund of the Republic of Austria
PO Box 90
1014 Vienna
Tel. +43/1/ 513 60 16 10
Fax: +43/1/513 60 16 15
E-Mail: info@zukunftsfonds-austria.at