Newsletter: Vienna International News

Covid-19 in Austria: Slight Easing of Regulations

The Austrian government has announced some new regulations with regard to the Covid-19 situation in Austria. The province of Vorarlberg will be facing relaxations of the current regulations as early as March 15, while the rest of the country will need to wait until the end of March and April for the opening of gastronomy and the cultural sector.

Schallenberg at Central 5 Meeting in Slovenia

The Foreign Minister from Slovenia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria met in Brdo, Slovenia, to discuss the continuous cooperation in the Covid-19 pandemic, the he upcoming Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2021, and EU accession of the Western Balkan states.

Austria's Fight Against Corruption is "Generally Unsatisfactory"

The Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) concludes that Austria's fight against corruption among members of parliament, judges and prosecutors is "generally unsatisfactory", since only two of 19 recommendations from 2017 have been implemented up to date.

Austria Enters for the First Time as U.S. Exits Top Ten in Bloomberg's Innovation Index

Austria moves up one place to 10th place in the latest Bloomberg Innovation Index, while the U.S. dropped out of a top 10 that features a cluster of European countries. The Bloomberg index analyzes dozens of criteria using seven equally weighted metrics, including research and development spending, manufacturing capability and concentration of high-tech public companies.