Brussels

EU Commission Expresses Concerns About Austria's Judicial System

In its published rule of law report, the EU Commission expressed several concerns about Austria. In principle, the independence of the Austrian judicial system is highly regarded, the country-specific document states.

July 12, 2023

EU Parliament President Metsola Visited Vienna

The President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola was on several working visits and events in an EU Parliament President addressed the members of the Austrian National Council. It also came to the working meeting with Austria's Foreign Minister Schallenberg and the opening of the interactive exhibition "Experience Europe" in Vienna.

May 29, 2023

Austrian Foreign Minister Summons Hungarian Ambassador

Diplomatic tensions arise as Hungary's early release of convicted human traffickers causes concern in Vienna. Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said in Brussels that the Hungarian ambassador would be brought to the Foreign Ministry because of the controversy over the release of migrant traffickers.

May 22, 2023

EU Commissioner Hahn Says Only a United Europe Can Succeed in a Globalized World

On the occasion of Europe Day on May 9th, the European Commission recently organized a ceremony under the motto "Europe - Together for Democracy, Peace and Sovereignty" at the Austrian Parliament. EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn delivered a speech emphasizing the importance of Europe's global political capacity for its future success.

May 5, 2023

Trilateral Working Meeting Between Foreign Ministers of Slovenia, Croatia and Austria

Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg met his counterpart from Croatia Gordan Radman and his counterpart from Slovenia Tanja Fajon in Rijeka, Croatia, for a trilateral working meeting. The talks focused on the economic interdependence of the three countries and good neighborly relations, but Schallenberg blocked Slovenian wishes to open borders.

April 26, 2023

Austria Foreign Minister Schallenberg Travelled to Luxembourg for EU Meeting

Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg traveled to Luxembourg for the Foreign Affairs Council. The meeting of EU foreign ministers focused on the fierce fighting in Sudan, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and its global impact, and the situation in Iran.

April 25, 2023

French Order Awarded to Austrian General Robert Brieger

French Ambassador to Austria Gilles Pécout awarded Austria's General and Chairman of the European Union Military Committee Robert Brieger the Commander's Badge of the French Legion of Honor on behalf of the French President at a ceremony Tuesday at the French Embassy in Vienna.

April 18, 2023

New Chairpersons of the Austrian Citizens' Forum Europe

The ordinary general assembly of the Citizens Forum Europe (BGFE) in Vienna elected a new board. While Othmar Karas was reconfirmed as chairman, ex-Chancellor Christian Kern and ex-Vice President of the European Parliament Ulrike Lunacek will be his deputies in the future.

April 2, 2023

Minister Schallenberg Reassured Support for Ukraine at EU Ministers Meeting

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg participated in a meeting of foreign Ministers of all European Union states. He reassured support for Ukraine and the Western Balkans was a subject of this meeting.

March 20, 2023

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Bujar Osmani Will Visit Brussels

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-Office and Foreign Minister of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani will visit Brussels to meet with EU and NATO Officials.

January 30, 2023

IAEA Chief Grossi and Austrian Foreign Minister Schallenberg Visit Brussels

Austria recorded a small but significant diplomatic success at Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg's visit to the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. Already in the run-up to the meeting, the EU foreign ministers met Rafael Grossi, Director General of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on the initiative of Foreign Minister Schallenberg.

January 23, 2023

EU Criticizes Austria's Energy Measures as "Not Goal-Oriented"

In the opinion of the EU Commission, Austria's aid measures against high energy prices are "not goal-oriented" enough. The EU authority said today that the federal government had quickly adopted energy policy measures.

November 22, 2022

Austrian Chancellor Nehammer Calls for EU-27 to Stand Together for European Electricity Price Cap

Given the sharp rise in energy prices, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer is calling for a European electricity price cap to "finally" put a stop to "this madness that is currently taking place on the energy markets. According to Nehammer. this is only possible through a European solution.

August 29, 2022

School Trips to Brussels: Awakening Interest in the Work of the European Union

In the future, the Austrian federal government wants to promote trips to Brussels in order to arouse interest in the European Union among schoolchildren. The trips, which will be subsidized with up to 500 euros. These trips are intended to give students easier access to the 'heart' of the European Union and show them the importance of the organization.

June 2, 2022

New Photography Museum Will Open in Vienna

A new photography museum will open in Vienna's Arsenal in fall 2024. This museum will be a showcase and discussion space under the name Foto Arsenal Wien. In order to adapt the building, the city is investing two million euros. Read more about Vienna's newest addition to the city's bustling cultural scene.

June 1, 2022

Forgotten Crisis: Austria Supports Syria at International Donor Conference

This week, the 6th donor conference to support Syria and the region is taking place in Brussels. This conference is the most important donor event for the country, which has suffered enormously in recent years, mainly due to war and natural disasters, and is still dependent on humanitarian aid from other countries. Austria is also represented and will contribute to the relief efforts.

May 10, 2022

Protection of the European Single Market: European Commission Wants to Control Third-Country Subsidies

The European Commission has presented a new proposal to combat competition-distorting subsidies from third countries. The background for the proposal is the increasing global imbalance between companies from the EU and those from third countries. This is primarily to counter the influence of China and Chinese companies in Europe.

May 5, 2022

„Murdering Civilians is a War Crime”: NATO Foreign Ministers to Condemn President Putin's War

The foreign ministers of NATO member states condemned the war crimes committed by the Russian army in Ukraine. The meeting discussed more intensive support for Ukraine, as well as the development of the NATO's next Strategic Concept.

April 7, 2022

Belgian Heads of State Welcomed Austrian President and First Lady

Alexander Van der Bellen is currently on a state visit to Belgium. Besides a reception with King Philippe and Queen Mathilde the program included talks on the war in Ukraine and high energy prices with senior Belgian politicians and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

March 23, 2022

Schallenberg in Brussels Condemns Playing with Nuclear Fire

At a special meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, Foreign Minister Schallenberg condemned the Russian shelling of a nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Read more about this special meeting and what was discussed there.

March 10, 2022

After the African Union Summit: Austria Provides €5 Million in Total to Alleviate Migration Pressure

Following the 6th European Union - African Union Summit, Austria announced that it would provide € 5 million in humanitarian aid to Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Tunisia. Read about Austria's efforts to alleviate some of the migration pressure caused by conflicts in Africa.

February 18, 2022

President Macron Meets with EU Interior Ministers to Discuss Asylum and Immigration

French President Emmanuel Macron met with Interior Minister Karner and his EU counterparts to discuss asylum and immigration and other priorities of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Read what the French president said and what was agreed upon at the meeting of the EU interior ministers.

February 7, 2022

NATO and Russian Leaders Say Differences "Will Be Hard to Bridge"

Representatives from NATO and Russia met in Brussels at the NATO-Russia Council to try to de-escalate the tensions between Russia and Ukraine and NATO. Read what each side is demanding and why the leaders say the differences "will be hard to bridge."

January 12, 2022

Nehammer on First Trip to Brussels as Chancellor: "I'm an Ardent European"

Chancellor Nehammer made his first trip to Brussels for the European Council and the EU Eastern Partnership Summit. There he met with the other heads of state and government of the EU member states, as well as EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Read what Nehammer discussed on the trip.

December 16, 2021

Edtstadler at General Affairs Council: Mandatory Vaccination is Necessary

At a meeting of the EU General Affairs Council in Brussels, Austrian EU Minister Karoline Edtstadler stressed the need for mandatory vaccinations in Austria and coordination in the fight against COVID-19 at the European level. Read Edtstadler's expectations for the European Commission, her defense of compulsory vaccinations, and more.

November 24, 2021

Schallenberg's First Foreign Trip as Austrian Chancellor

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel recently met for talks in Brussels with Chancellor Schallenberg on his first foreign trip since being appointed chancellor. Read about the chancellor's trip, his talks with the two leaders, and a Twitter error involving former Chancellor Kurz.

October 15, 2021

Free PCR Gurgle Tests on Nightjet Trains to Vienna

On all Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) Nightjet trains to Vienna, passengers can now get free PCR gurgle test kits from the staff on board to get tested for Coronavirus.

September 1, 2021

Von der Leyen and King Philippe Meet with Van der Bellen in Brussels

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Belgium's King Philippe each met with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen on his latest trip to Brussels. Climate change was a key topic of discussion. Read what Van der Bellen had to say about it.

July 20, 2021

Beligum Is Now Warning of Travel to All of Austria

The Belgian Foreign Ministry now warns of travel to all nine federal states of Austria. Carinthia and Styria complete the list of the federal states that are depicted in red, which is the highest Covid-19 warning level. Travellers from these areas need to self-quarantine for at least ten days.

October 29, 2020

European Parliament - How are the MEPs in Key Functions Elected?

At the first plenary session after the European elections, Parliament elects a new President, 14 new Vice-Presidents and five Quaestors. The ninth European Parliament was elected in 2019 elections and is to last until the 2024 elections.

July 3, 2019

Potential President of the EU Commission Michel Barnier Met Top of New Austrian Government

Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier was in Vienna to meet several members of the new government, including Chancellor Brigitte Bierlein and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg. Officially, the Brexit negotiations were the focus of the talks, however, unofficially Barnier repeatedly shows interest as Jean-Claude Juncker's successor in the office of EU Commission President.

June 11, 2019

Barnier Meets the Austrian Government - What's the Point of a Brexit Postponement?

The Brussels chief negotiator for the Brexit, Michel Barnier, visited Vienna for talks with Foreign Minister Kneissl, Chancellor Kurz and Chancellery Minister Blümel. The agenda of the meeting included an exchange on the current state of the Brexit negotiations and the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom.

March 1, 2019

Goals for Austria's Presidency of the Council of the European Union

On 1 July 2018, Austria will take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Bulgaria. During its Presidency of the Council of the European Union (1 July to 31 December 2018), guided by the motto "A Europe that protects", Austria will focus on three key areas: security and the fight against illegal migration, retaining competitiveness through digitalisation, and stability in the neighbouring regions (particularly the accession of the Western Balkans to the EU).

April 25, 2018

The New Balkans in the Year of Hope for EU Enlargement

2018 has been frequently described as the „year of hope“ for EU enlargement and for the Balkans. In February 2018, a new Enlargement Strategy was presented in Strasbourg by the EU Commission. Bulgaria, currently having the Presidency of the Council of the EU, will organize a major Balkan’s Summit in May 2018. Austria, for a long time one of the most prominent promoters of the EU Enlargement for the Western Balkans and a country deeply intertwined with the region, will assume the EU presidency in the second half of 2018. 2018 represents one of the crucial moments for enlargement as major steps need to be undertaken to reach the goal of making enlargement perspective realistic for 2025.

April 20, 2018

Government Debt Increased to 82.6% of GDP in Austria and to 92.7% in Euro Area

At the end of the second quarter of 2014, the government debt to GDP ratio in the euro area (EA18) stood at 92.7%, compared with 91.9% at the end of the first quarter of 2014. Austria's government debt rose to 82.6 percent of GDP in Q2 2014 from 81.3 percent in Q1.

October 23, 2014

Cost of Living Rankings: CEE Capitals Cheaper, Vienna is 32nd Most Expensive City

The Mercer's 2014 Cost of Living Rankings have been published and cover 211 cities across five continents. While Western European cities have all risen in the rankings mainly due to the strengthening of the Euro against the US dollar, most cities in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), however have fallen in the ranking as a result of local currencies depreciating against the US dollar. Bratislava (#84), Prague (#92), Kiev (#98), Ljubljana (#116), Zagreb (#120), Budapest (#135), Warsaw (#142), Belgrade (#184).

July 25, 2014

Austrian EU Commissioner Hahn Blames British PM Cameron for Opening Doors to Ukip

Hahn argues, that David Cameron is to blame for his own defeat at the hands of the eurosceptic UKIP at the European elections.

May 31, 2014

Boyden Partners Met in Vienna to Discuss Emerging Markets Strategies

The annual global Boyden conference took place in Vienna. Despite the current political crisis in Ukraine the headhunting company sees good prospects of Austrian enterprises and managers.

May 23, 2014

Fischer: Room for Further Trade with Albania

Austrian President Heinz Fischer was paying a visit to Western Balkan States.

May 22, 2014

Austria: Right-Winged Extreme Party Buoyed by Tailwind

The Austrian right-winged Freedom Party (FPÖ) is using the disappointment over the grand coalition’s inability to tackle major economic issues to its advantage.

May 21, 2014

Croatia to Place New Eurobond by June

The Croatian government plans to issue a Eurobond until the beginning of June.

May 9, 2014

Calls for European Energy Union Become Louder

Polish PM Tusk called for a European energy union. His Hungarian counterpart supports the idea.

May 9, 2014

EU Council Trying to Find a Way Out of Ukraine Crisis

Ahead of the European Council, which is currently taking place in Vienna under the Austrian presidency, Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz declared not to expect a solution for the conflict in Ukraine.

May 6, 2014

Vranitzky: Joining EU One of the Most Courageous Steps

A symposium showed the EU Accession process of Austria in the early 1990’s in a new light.

May 6, 2014

Agenda Austria 2020: Economy = State

The think tank Agenda Austria 2020 is currently tackling the question what the “economy expects from the state”.

May 5, 2014

Federation of Industries: “Industrial Compact“ for European Competitiveness

The Austrian Federation of Industries (IV) considers the EU entry of Austria as the basis of prosperty and economic growth in the past years. However, now reforms are required to catch up to a global level.

May 5, 2014

Slovenian Banka Celje Needs Further State Aids

Because of the failed capital increase in the amount of € 160m, Banka Celje is requiring further state capital.

May 2, 2014

Fitch Upgrades Rating for Slovenia

Fitch Ratings has revised the Outlook on Slovenia's Long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) to Stable from Negative and affirmed the IDRs at 'BBB+'.

May 2, 2014

New Serbian Government Wants Speedy EU Accession

The new Serbian government is determined to accelerate the EU accession progress.

May 2, 2014

Majority of Czech Entrepreneurs Want Euro

According to a survey, more than three quarters of Czech entrepreneurs are in favor of the country adopting the Euro.

April 30, 2014