Finland and Austria will draft a joint programme for 2006, when they will be holding the European Union Presidency for consecutive six-month periods.
Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen reached agreement on drafting a joint programme with visiting Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel on Wednesday.
These goals include European Union enlargement, improving the EU's competitive edge and common market. The two leaders did not discuss possible Turkish EU membership.
The year 2006 will be a transitional time for the Union because many countries are scheduled to ratify the European constitution. Several nations are expected to hold a referendum on the issue early that summer.
Schüssel predicted that it will mark a time of uncertainty for the EU.
Officials from Finland and Austria will meet next year to begin ironing out details of how they could achieve commonly agreed goals for the EU.
Finnish News Agency