The New Location Development Act - Significance for Austria's Attractiveness as a Business Location

PeoplePoliticians ♦ Published: November 22, 2018; 10:34 ♦ (Vindobona)

The Austrian government has passed the highly controversial Location Development Act in the Council of Ministers, which will speed up environmental impact assessments, be passed by the National Council this year and come into force on 1 January 2019. The new legislation will introduce automatic permits for certain energy infrastructure projects (eg, electricity grids and power plants). Positive reactions are coming from industry and politics. Various environmental associations criticise the new law.

Economics Minister Schramböck presents the new law. / Picture: © BMDW Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs / Christian Lendl

The new Location Development Act is intended to facilitate faster administrative procedures as soon as a project has been classified by an advisory council as "relevant to the location" or "in the public interest".

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) preceded

The process according to the new Location Development Act will be preceded by the EIA process.…