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Austria and Germany - Read the latest headlines about bilateral relations in the areas of economy, business, investment, diplomacy, culture and tourism

conwert acquires majority stake in German KWG

Acquisition of approx. 60% stake in German residential property company with 9,700 units. Purchase price of approx. 620 € / sqm.

December 21, 2012

CESEE: Airline Industry in Severe Crisis

The airline industry in East and Southeast Europe faces enormous difficulties. Not only Polish LOT needs immediate help.

December 21, 2012

Switzerland Ratifies Tax Treaty with Austria

Switzerland has approved the tax deal with Austria and the UK. The treaty will come into force by January 2013.

December 20, 2012

CESEE: Poverty Grows Considerably

In Europe, one in four citizens is affected by poverty, the Russian newspaper “Rossijskaja Gaseta” states.

December 18, 2012

Siemens Austria: Dividends Reach € 750m

This year, the Austrian subsidiary of the German technology group recorded a moderate profit decrease.

December 18, 2012

Immofinanz: Expansion into Germany

The Austrian real estate company intends to deploy treasury shares to obtain bank financing in order to continue the expansion into Germany.

December 17, 2012

Sharp Attack Against Hypo Group

The legal dispute between Austrian Hypo Group and German BayernLB escalates. The majority owner of BayernLB announced that Hypo Group´s lawsuit will be fought by all means.

December 15, 2012

Hypo Group Refuses to Repay Loans to BayernLB

Today, the management board and the shareholders of the Austrian nationalized bank resolved to stop payments to the former owner BayernLB. BayernLB files a lawsuit against Hypo Group.

December 13, 2012

CA Immo Expands Into Berlin

The real estate company CA Immo has reported the letting of around 6,800 sqm of office space in relation to another development project in the Europacity district of Berlin.

December 13, 2012

Croatia: EU Scepticism Grows

After German officials considered postponing Croatia´s EU accession, Croats become more critical to the European Union.

December 8, 2012

OMV and RWE Talk About Stakes in Nabucco

The German energy group plans sells its shares to Austrian OMV. OMV´s CEO Roiss expects that the consortium of Nabucco will change.

December 8, 2012

Austria Faces Recession

Austria´s National Bank OeNB has revised the growth forecasts one more time. Next year, Austria´s economy will only grow by 0.5%.

December 7, 2012

Juncker´s Succession: Faymann Out of the Race

The talks about the succession of Jean-Claude Juncker as chairman of the Euro-Group are going on. Austria´s Chancellor has only little prospects.

December 6, 2012

Immofinanz: New Major Project in Germany

With the Casa Stupenda, a pioneering plus-energy house is under construction in Duesseldorf’s MediaHarbor. The outstanding construction costs total approx. € 100m, and completion is scheduled for 2015.

December 6, 2012

Faymann as Juncker´s Successor?

Austria´s Federal Chancellor Werner Faymann is said to have relatively good prospects to become head of the Euro Group.

December 4, 2012

Verbund Focuses on Hydro Power

After the deal with German E.ON, the biggest Austrian energy company has a new core market and a new core product.

December 4, 2012

RWE Leaves Nabucco

The German energy group sells its shares to Austrian OMV.

December 3, 2012

Verbund Sells Enerjisa to E.ON

Verbund, Austria’s leading utility, and E.ON, one of the world’s largest energy providers, have reached an agreement on an asset swap.

December 3, 2012

Strabag: Losses Ahead

Next Friday, the Austrian construction group presents its results for the first nine months of 2012.

November 28, 2012

Allianz: Austria´s Economic Position Improves

According to the German insurance group, the economic situation of ten out of 17 Eurozone member countries has worsened. Austria could make up one place.

November 26, 2012

More Hungarians Leave their Country

Especially high-skilled Hungarians tend to emigrate. The labor market conditions in Hungary are often precarious.

November 24, 2012

Verbund Leaves Turkey

The Austrian energy group sells its interest in Enerjisa to German E.ON. Verbund will re-focus on hydro power.

November 23, 2012

AUA to Strengthen CEE Network

After Air Berlin decided to reduce the number of flights from Vienna to Eastern European destinations, Austrian Airlines intends to fill the gap.

November 20, 2012

Nowotny: „Not Afraid of Inflation“

Ewald Nowotny, governor of Austria´s Central Bank (OeNB) thinks that the danger of a stagnating economy is bigger than the danger of an increasing inflation.

November 20, 2012

Nowotny: More Power for Big Countries

The governor of Austrian National Bank OeNB Ewald Nowotny proposes to amend the voting rights at ECB.

November 7, 2012

Austrian Airlines: Austerity Program Not Finished

In the first nine months, AUA´s operating income was positive. However, the restructuring process will go on.

November 2, 2012

EU Budget Cuts would Affect Poland

In the last six years, Poland benefitted substantially from EU funds. A cut of € 23bn is being discussed.

October 30, 2012

Saving in CEE Becomes More Important

Poles and Slovaks are CEE's savings champions, putting aside 15% resp. 12% of their monthly income. Austrians, Germans and Czechs follow suit with 9%.

October 29, 2012

CA Immo to Downsize

Florian Nowotny, CFO of the Austrian real estate company announces further property sales.

October 19, 2012

Porr´s Construction Output Shrinks

The third-largest Austrian construction group records an increase in orders. Porr´s CEO Karl-Heinz Strauss is satisfied.

October 18, 2012

„Austrian Telecommunication Market Is Damaged“

The new CEO of T-Mobile Austria Andreas Bierwirth wants to cut costs drastically. The profitability of the telecommunication industry would suffer from the decreasing prices.

October 17, 2012

Austrian Budget: Experts Call for Further Reforms (Part 2)

Austrian economic research institutes criticize the state budget and want the government to show more ambition.

October 16, 2012

CA Immo: Start of New Project in Düsseldorf

Having sold extensive plots of land with approval for residential development, CA Immo is now constructing the first office building in the new quarter.

October 16, 2012

Verbund Does Not Exclude Sale of Enerjisa

The Austrian energy company Verbund is said to withdraw from Turkey. However, further investments would be conceivable too, Verbund says.

October 12, 2012

Alpine Needs Help from Banks

The Austrian construction company faces liquidity constraints. Talks with banks were started already.

October 11, 2012

Andritz is Concerned About China

The CEO of Andritz Wolfgang Leitner thinks that there are substantial risks for the Chinese and European economy.

October 10, 2012

Orban Rejects Joining Eurozone

The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban thinks that the introduction of the euro in Hungary would be “irresponsible”.

October 10, 2012

Support for Financial Transaction Tax Keeps Within Limits

In order to introduce the tax, nine countries must agree thereon. The time pressure is growing.

October 6, 2012

Financial Transaction Tax: Austrian Government Under Pressure

In its last austerity package, the Austrian government has anticipated a financial transaction tax to be introduced in 2014. The time pressure is growing.

October 2, 2012

Fekter Promotes Financial Transaction Tax

The Austrian Minister of Finance wrote a letter to the EU Commission. She argues that a financial transaction tax would be economically reasonable.

October 1, 2012

Slovenia “No Bail-Out Candidate”

Slovenia ´s former Prime Minister Anton Rop is optimistic that the country will manage the crisis.

September 27, 2012

Anzengruber: „Withdrawal from Turkey is no Issue Yet“

Wolfgang Anzengruber, CEO of the Austrian energy company Verbund, emphasizes that Turkey is a future market.

September 27, 2012

Austrian Tax Deal with Switzerland Wobbles

The citizens´ movement in Switzerland has collected enough signatures in order to hold a popular vote on the tax deal with Austria.

September 25, 2012

Public Debt: New EU Members Are More Flexible

Compared to old EU member states, the new member states have more fiscal leeway to overcome the crisis.

September 24, 2012

Croatian EU-Accession: Slovenia as Obstacle

Slovenia may put a veto on Croatia´s EU accession. Croatia should withdraw lawsuits against the biggest Slovenian bank NLB, Slovenia says.

September 22, 2012

EU: Germany Biggest Net Payer, Poland Biggest Net Recipient

In 2011, Poland received EU-aids of € 11bn. Among the new EU members, Hungary ranks second. In terms of GDP, Hungary is the biggest beneficiary.

September 21, 2012

Austrian Share of Academics Below OECD-Average

In Austria, only 21% of the persons aged between 25 and 34 are graduated. This is massively below the OECD-average of 38%.

September 20, 2012

Westerwelle and Sikorski Want a Stronger EU

The German and the Polish Ministers of Foreign Affairs wrote a common article in The International Herald Tribune.

September 19, 2012

Verbund in Turkey: Further Investments Instead of Withdrawal

In August, Verbund was said to sell its stake in Enerjisa to German eon. Now, Verbund may enlarge its investments in Turkey further.

September 19, 2012

Austria Wants to Unload Hypo Group

In 2009, BayernLB sold the financially stricken bank to the Austrian state. Now, the Austrian Republic may appeal against the sale.

September 18, 2012