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Ursula von der Leyen Gets Johannes Hahn Proposed as Austrian EU Commissioner
Ursula von der Leyen was approved by the European Parliament as the next president of the European Commission. Her first, and very tricky, task is to assign jobs to the commissioners of each country. Johannes Hahn was again nominated by the main committee of the austrian parliament as the Austrian member of the next EU Commission.
July 19, 2019
European Commissioner: Austria Sends Hahn for Third Time
The Austrian Federal Government under Chancellor Bierlein has announced that Johannes Hahn will again be nominated as an Austrian member of the future EU Commission.
July 12, 2019
Poznan Summit: Bringing Western Balkans Closer to EU Remains Priority
Chancellor Bierlein at the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Poland. The sixth Western Balkans Conference as part of the Berlin Process, which brings together heads of government from several EU states and their counterparts from the Western Balkans, dealt with connectivity at all levels.
July 9, 2019
Total Ban on Glyphosate in Austria Adopted
Austria is the first country in the European Union to ban the use of the controversial weedkiller glyphosate. The ban is legally controversial and could contradict EU law.
July 4, 2019
Austria Looks Forward to Collaboration with New EU Parliament President Sassoli
Congratulations come from the Austrian Parliament. National Council President Sobotka and Second National Council President Bures congratulate David Sassoli on his election and look forward to working with the European Parliament.
July 4, 2019
European Parliament - Karas to Be Vice President Again
Othmar Karas, member of the EU and Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), has been re-elected as one of 14 vice-presidents of the European Parliament. Together with him further vice-presidents were confirmed.
July 3, 2019
So What Does the Future Hold for the Eurozone?
The Eurozone between crisis and reform. At the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the renowned European financial experts Agnès Bénassy-Quéré, Klaus Regling, Elke König and Josef Zechner discussed the structure, challenges and necessary financial market reforms within the euro zone.
June 28, 2019
46% Fewer Asylum Applications in Austria
13,375 asylum applications were received in Austria last year - 46% less than in 2017 (24,715). A total of 664,480 applications for international protection were filed in the EU (including Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein) in 2018. The number of asylum applications in Austria and the EU has thus declined for the third year in a row and has returned to pre-crisis levels.
June 27, 2019
First Visit Abroad Leads Foreign Minister Schallenberg to Finland
His first bilateral trip abroad took Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg to Helsinki. The trip focused not only on European policy issues but also on the EU Presidency, which Finland will take over on 1 July 2019.
June 25, 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
Karas Remains Head of People's Party EU Delegation for One Year, then Follows Edtstadler
The Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) members of the European Parliament have elected Othmar Karas as their leader for only one year. From 2020, the second on the list, Karoline Edtstadler, will automatically take over. As reported by Vindobona.org, Edtstadler received more preferential votes in the EU election than Karas, the previous head of delegation.
June 4, 2019
Diplomats for the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia 2019
More and more embassies, delegations and permanent representations to international organisations supported this day (IDAHOBIT), that raises awareness of LGBT rights violations and stimulate interest in LGBT rights work worldwide, as well as EuroPride 2019 in Vienna.
May 29, 2019
European Elections 2019: Austrian Preliminary Final Results
The preliminary result of the 2019 European elections (without absentee ballot) has been announced. The Austrian People's Party won clearly ahead of the Austrian Socialist Party (SPÖ) and the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ). The Greens and NEOS followed in places 4 to 5. Votes cast by absentee ballot are not yet included in this result. The turnout without postal votes was 50.6%. In Vienna, the turnout including postal votes was 58.71%.
May 27, 2019
EU and UN - 40 Years Together in Vienna
Both the UN United Nations and the EU European Union celebrate their 40th anniversary in Vienna. The Delegation of the European Union to the International Organisations in Vienna was established as soon as the United Nations opened their Vienna headquarters in 1979.
May 27, 2019
Austrian Government Dismissed: National Council Denies Government Confidence
The parliamentary motion of no confidence of the Social Democrats (SPÖ) was supported by the right-wing populist Freedom Party (FPÖ) and the Liste Jetzt. The majority of the members of the National Council thus expressed their distrust of Chancellor Kurz's government and removed it from office.
May 27, 2019
Austria's Government Faces Expected Motion of No Confidence
After the victory in the election to the European Parliament, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and his government are threatened with an abrupt end. The Social Democrats (SPÖ) will table their own motion of censure against the entire Kurz cabinet. A clear decision by the Freedom Party (FPÖ) is still pending.
May 27, 2019
European Elections - Who Stands for Election and How Can a Non-Austrian EU Citizen Vote in Austria?
After the political earthquake in Austria and the end of the turquoise-blue government, the EU election on Sunday is eagerly awaited. A decision will be made on 18 EU mandates from Austria. In European elections, EU citizens are entitled to vote in Austria as long as they are registered in the European electoral register.
May 24, 2019
Vienna Sticks to Iran Agreement
At the Eastern Partnership meeting in Brussels, the foreign ministers of the EU states discussed the rescue efforts for the nuclear agreement with Iran, specifically the maintenance of trade relations despite US sanction threats. Austria's Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl demanded that the nuclear agreement with Iran should be an EU priority.
May 16, 2019
1989-2019: Europe Exhibition Opened at Vienna`s Heldenplatz
The new exhibition "Moving Moments - The End of the Division of Europe" (Bewegende Momente - Das Ende der Teilung Europas) looks back on the fall of the Iron Curtain and pays tribute to the achievements of the people in these mostly peaceful revolutions. It also shows how the European Union is seen today by young people from these countries.
May 10, 2019
Migration Agency Demands New EU Migration Policy
Vienna based think tank International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) is teaming up with its 17 member states to draw up migration policy recommendations for the next EU Commission.
May 10, 2019
CETA Complies with EU Law - Austria Signs Free Trade Agreement with Canada
The agreement had been provisionally in force since the previous year and exports to Canada had recently risen by 7.5 percent. Now that the European Court of Justice has ruled that CETA, especially the arbitral tribunals, is in conformity with EU law, this is welcomed in Austria by business-oriented institutions and Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen has confirmed his willingness to sign the agreement.
May 2, 2019
Exclusive Mini-Davos Conference in Austria's Most Beautiful Ski Resort
European Commissioner Günther Oettinger invited for two days leading politicians, bankers and industrialists to his Europe Forum 2019 in Lech am Arlberg in the Austrian Alps.
April 26, 2019
Vienna's Jewish Square and Europe
The US historian Timothy Snyder will give a lecture on the topic "Judenplatz 1010 - A speech to Europe 2019". The place and time chosen for the lecture are no coincidence: European history is presented at Vienna’s Judenplatz like in no other place.
April 18, 2019
EU Citizens in Austria - Vote for Your Austrian MEP at the European Elections 2019
EU citizens who have their main residence in Austria can vote for Austrian members of the European Parliament. Here we show you how this works and who you can choose.
February 25, 2019
What Does No-Deal Brexit Really Mean for British-Austrian Travel Behaviour?
As of March 29, 2019 at 11.00 p.m. (UTC Universal Time Coordinated) or March 30, 2019 at 00:00 (CET Central European Time) the United Kingdom is no longer an EU member and is to be treated as such by Austria. In order to close the legal gaps in the course of a disorderly Brexit, a comprehensive law is in preparation. This law will be subject to numerous amendments in several Austrian ministries. The main areas affected are civil rights (in particular right of residence, social security), transport and customs. In following we look at the effects of the No-Deal-Brexit on travel behaviour.
February 13, 2019
Visit to the Palestinian Territories: Austria's Van der Bellen for a Two-State Solution
Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah: "We are friends of Israel AND of the Palestinians. We want to deepen relations with both sides". Mahmoud Abbas thanked Austria for the "historical relationships" cultivated since Bruno Kreisky.
February 5, 2019
What Does the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement Mean for Austria?
The Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs has calculated that the savings potential through the elimination of customs duties amounts to around one billion euros across the EU and to around EUR 34 million for Austria. For Austria this means a rather modest growth effect of 0.011 percent of GDP.
February 4, 2019
EU-Japan Agreement Secures EUR 34 Million in Jobs and Prosperity in Austria
The EU's Economic Partnership Agreement with Japan entered into force on 1 February 2019. For Austria, Japan is by far the second most important market in Asia and the third most important overseas trading partner. About 1000 Austrian exporters are active in Japan, 80 companies have local branches. In 2017 the trade volume reached an all-time high of 3.5 billion euros.
February 4, 2019
Indexation of Family Benefits: "There are no second-class children in the EU"
The EC European Commission opens an infringement procedure against Austria, as it pays families less child benefit if their children live in another EU country with a lower cost of living.
January 24, 2019
Mahathir - Kurz: World's Oldest Prime Minister Meets Europe's Youngest
Mahathir Mohamad, who has been Prime Minister of Malaysia for the second time since 2018 at the age of 93, paid a working visit to Austria. In Vienna he met, among others, Federal President Alexander van der Bellen and 32-year-old Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
January 22, 2019
Radio Interview with the Austrian Ambassador to the United Kingdom
Rosie MacLeod spoke to Michael Zimmermann, the new Austrian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, about the presidency and Austria's place within the European Union more generally.
Rosie MacLeod · January 21, 2019
EU-Africa Forum - Heads of State Share Vision on Cooperation Between Africa and Europe
The High-Level Forum Africa-Europe met at the ACV-Austria Center Vienna to focus on "Taking cooperation to the digital age". The debates focused on the cooperation between the European Union and African countries in the areas of innovation and digitisation, in particular the question of how the benefits of digital change can benefit everyone.
December 19, 2018
How Europe Works - EU Council Presidency Invites to Open Day
Austria holds the EU Presidency until the end of the year. The majority of conferences at ministerial and civil servant level are held at the ACV Austria Center Vienna. ACV now opens its doors and invites all interested parties to get to know the premises of the EU Presidency first hand.
December 7, 2018
Sebastian Kurz: EU and Switzerland to Intensify Relations Further
Federal Chancellor Kurz held a working meeting with Swiss President Alain Berset in Bern. The meeting focused on, among other topics, an assessment of Brexit, the Western Balkans, the nuclear agreement with Iran, relations with Russia and the priorities of the Austrian EU Presidency.
November 22, 2018
Eastern Partnership Youth Conference "Youth for Entrepreneurship" Opened in Vienna
Young people (between 18-30 years) from the EU’s Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine), interested in developing an entrepreneurial idea or social enterprise, are discussing in Vienna the state of youth entrepreneurship in the partner countries and learn about EU and national programmes for youth entrepreneurship as well as what steps to take to become a young entrepreneur.
November 9, 2018
Western Balkans - No Reconciliation in Kosovo Conflict
Austrian Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz visited Serbia and Kosovo during a trip to the Western Balkans. Since the last clash between the two heads of state Vučić and Thaçi in September, the talks have been suspended there. The EU should continue to support the search for a solution to the Kosovo conflict.
November 7, 2018
Japan-Austria Relations - Kurz Met Shinzo Abe
During the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit in Brussels, Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, and Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz met for bilateral talks. The meeting focused on the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Austria next year, the new tax convention between Japan and Austria, the Japan-European Union (EU) relations and the situation in North Korea.
October 30, 2018
Eurasian Economic Union vs. European Union - Perspectives and Limits
At Lansky, Ganzger + Partner, at the meeting room of the Austrian-Kazakh Society (ÖKG - Österreichisch-Kasachische Gesellschaft), a number of prominent participants met for a panel discussion to explore the relationship between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU, EEU), to which Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia belong, and the European Union (EU) entitled "The Eurasian Economic Union and the EU - Perspectives and Limits of a Partnership". The conference was hosted by the Research Centre for Eurasian Studies (EURAS), the Austrian-Kazakh Society (ÖKG - Österreichisch-Kasachische Gesellschaft) and the Austrian-Belarusian Society (ÖWG - Österreichisch-Weißrussische Gesellschaft).
October 30, 2018
UK Nationals Living in Austria Preparing for Brexit
The British Embassy in Vienna invites all British Nationals living in Austria to a series of information events throughout the country to prepare them for BREXIT.
October 22, 2018
Kurz Met Bill Gates: "He is a Source of Inspiration"
Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz met billionaire and Microsoft founder Bill Gates at the EU summit in Brussels. Gates was in Brussels this week to create a pilot fund that will invest €100 million in European companies working to stop climate change.
October 19, 2018
The Western Balkans: Resolving Outstanding Issues between Belgrade and Pristina Prerequisite for Serbia's Accession to the EU
As international and local pressure mounts on Belgrade and Pristina to define their relations with an agreement on normalization, the official Austrian visit to the Republic of Serbia as part of an economic and cultural delegation headed by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen focused on bilateral economic relations, Serbia's EU perspective and the Belgrade-Priština Dialogue.
October 18, 2018
Vietnam to Strengthen Relations with Austria and the EU
The Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Nguyễn Xuân Phúc pays a visit to Vienna in the run-up to the Brussels ASEM Summit between the EU and Asian states.
October 16, 2018
Citizens' Initiative "Europa.cafe" Receives the Europe State Award 2018
The European State Prize of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs honours the voluntary commitment of citizens and organisations to promote European awareness and understanding. The winning project in 2018 was the nationwide citizens' initiative "Europa.cafe", a successful example of how to creatively make the European Union tangible for the individual citizen on the one hand and how committed citizens can reach with dedication and conviction on the other.
October 12, 2018
Enlargement Perspectives for the Western Balkans - The Role of Parliaments
During a panel discussion in the Austrian Parliament, the perspective of enlargement for the Western Balkans and, in this context, the role of parliaments were discussed. The future of the six candidate countries in the Western Balkans is within the EU. They need an honest perspective for this common future with the EU Member States. The EU must contribute to ensuring the stability of the democracies in these countries. The former President of the German Bundestag, Norbert Lammert, attended the discussion.
October 11, 2018
Christian Kern: After All, Departure from Politics
The former SPÖ leader Christian Kern called to the SPÖ headquarters to quit his candidacy for the EU elections and to announce his farewell to politics. He is now indeed leaving politics and wants to return to the business world as a manager, or even to become an entrepreneur himself.
October 6, 2018
Christian Kern to Run as Top Candidate for EU Election and to Resign as Party Chairman
After initial rumours about a stepping down from politics, Christian Kern (SPÖ) announced in the evening that he plans to give up his party chairmanship and instead intends to run in the European Parliament elections as the leading candidate of the SPÖ. "He leaves as party leader, but remains loyal to politics."
September 19, 2018
Meet the Minister in Charge for Austria's Presidency of the Council of the EU: Gernot Blümel
During Austria's EU Council Presidency, the name Gernot Blümel, the Federal Minister responsible not only for the EU but also for art, culture and media, will be mentioned time and again. Blümel is also chairmen of the Vienna ÖVP and a close confidant of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. His ministry is even physically integrated into the Federal Chancellery.
June 5, 2018
Austria Prepares for the Presidency of the Council of the European Union: ‘A Europe that protects’
On 1 July 2018 Austria takes over the EU Presidency for six months. The Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union will focus on three topics: the fight against illegal migration, digitalisation and stability in the neighbourhood.
June 5, 2018
The Future of the EU: Europe Day Is To Be Given Greater Importance
On Europe Day, one pupil from each member state of the European Union came to the Hofburg for a discussion. More political education in schools and a more comprehensive climate policy are their main demands. "We are 20 percent of the population, but 100 percent of the future."
May 11, 2018
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
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