28/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - French Transport Minister Jean-Claude Gayssot said as the Transport Council opened on Tuesday in Brussels that he would not go to the working lunch if the Austrian minister, Michael Schmid, member of the FPÖ, was to take part. Mr Gayssot did not have to carry this out as Mr Schmid, as he explained himself to the Austrian press, left before the lunch for his home town, Graz. Mr Gayssot, for his part, told the French press that it was not a matter of placing the whole of Austria "in the dock", and that he had also informed the former Austrian transport minister, Social Democrat Caspar Einem, of his intention. Belgian Minister Isabelle Durant said she did not wish to hear Mr Schmid's speech.