Country profile - Distinguishing factors (Austria)

Austria is a landlocked country with approximately 8.3 million inhabitants and a large proportion of the Alps in central Europe. Geopolitically peripheral until 1989, it is situated today in the interior of central Europe with 83,879 km surrounded by eight countries (Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary), no fewer than six of which are EU Member States. Austria's geopolitical situation today therefore differs fundamentally from when it joined the EU 15 years ago and prior to the subsequent enlargements in 2004 and 2007.

In general, the climate within Austria varies very widely over short distances (approximately 700 km from east to west and approximately 50 290 km from north to south) because of the pronounced relief formation, and ranges from an alpine to a central European climate, from one influenced by the Atlantic to a continental and Illyrian one, the latter already showing a Mediterranean influence.

Specific topography of Austria

Austria's natural landscape is characterised primarily by the high proportion of mountain areas about 60% of the country's territory is mountainous, with only 32% lying below 500 m. The specific land forms have resulted in small yet distinct regions and a close interdependence between the natural and cultural landscapes with specific types of use and management (Figure 2), which has direct consequences for the environment and nature conservation.

As a further consequence of the country's topography, the distribution of soil types is also on a very small scale, i.e. the associated soil properties differ widely even over a very small area.
For details see the digital soil map for Austria.

Varied topography and the overlap of different biogeographical regions give Austria a speciesrich fauna and flora. With regard to native animal and plant species, Austria is, despite its small size, one of the most speciesrich countries in central Europe.

Population density

In Austria, the peripheries of urban conurbations show tendencies of urban sprawl, whilst the rural regions are sparsely populated. Austrias inhabitants are distributed across 17,365 communities with 1.764,455 dwellings (STATISTIK AUSTRIA 2009, status 2001). The mountainous regions are particularly sparsely populated (Figure 3).

Measures have been taken for centuries to protect this very scarce permanent settlement area from natural hazards which can be particularly serious in the mountainous regions. Flood prevention measures and the reclamation of former wetlands for agricultural production have reduced the areas available for surface waters, and led to the straightening of watercourses and the loss of many former wetlands.

Governance/ environmental governance:

Unlike the majority of the 27 EU countries, Austria has a federal system of government. The Republic  is made up of nine federal states. The division of legislative and executive powers between federation and states is set out in the federal constitution. Since 1985, comprehensive protection of the environment has been an important state objective and has constitutional status in Austria.   

Another specific feature of the political system in Austria are the large corporative interest organisations, the chambers of commerce, agriculture, labour and the national trade union federation. These organisations, membership of which is compulsory, are referred to as social partners and they are governed by public law. When draft legislation is proposed by the government, it undergoes an evaluation process during which the social partners propose amendments.

For the organisation of the Austrian Federal Ministry responsible for the environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, see Organigramme.  

The main Austrian expert organisation for all environmental issues is Umweltbundesamt GmbH. Its core tasks include the monitoring, management and evaluation of environmental data, see profile of the Environment Agency Austria.

Economic/agricultural structure

Austria's economy is characterised by the predominance of the services sector and small and mediumsized businesses particularly in the various service industries. Most of the country's territory is used for agriculture and/or forestry, with large areas of forest managed by farmers. In EU terms, agriculture in Austria is small scale, and Austrian farmers are increasingly focussing on 'green' farming. The number of organic farmers in Austria has risen dramatically since 1990 and remains high. Austria has the highest density of organic farms in the European Union.
BMLFUW Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management 2010A.  
Download "Grner Bericht"

Since the first approvals were given for GMOs in the European Union, Austria has maintained a very sceptical position towards their use in agriculture (Eurobarometer 64.3, 2006). This scepticism is shared by consumers and farmers alike, particularly since a significant proportion of organically grown foods and other certified nonGMO foods are produced and consumed in Austria and Austrian producers export substantial quantities of organic and nonGMO foods to other EU markets. Given the smallscale of agricultural structures in Austria, this organic cultivation would be seriously jeopardised by the introduction of GM crops. Austria supports sustainable agricultural production and emphasises that financial support measures for farmers are linked to environmentallyfriendly agricultural practices. This policy would be contradicted by the widespread adoption of currently available GM crops. Therefore, Austria endorses measures to strengthen the responsibilities of the Member States in relation to the evaluation and authorisation of GMO applications and the cultivation of GM crops. Austria will contribute to follow up on the Commission proposals of July 2010 to allow states to decide for themselves whether they wish to cultivate GMOs.

In economic sectors with relevance for the environment, such as renewable energy (e.g. biomass heating plants and smallscale biomass systems, solar thermal systems and hydroelectric power stations), wastewater treatment, and waste disposal, Austrian companies have developed internationallyacknowledged expertise and are very active on these markets. (see: Austria and the European Environmental Policy)

Austria however continues to be of the opinion that nuclear energy is neither a sustainable form of energy supply nor a workable option for combating climate change. As long ago as 1978, when a national referendum was held on the commissioning of the nuclear power station at Zwentendorf, the majority of the population voted against it. Since then the use of nuclear energy has been explicitly prohibited in Austria. (Bundesverfassungsgesetz fr ein atomfreies sterreich Federal Constitutional Act for a Nonnuclear Austria). Optimal safety for the Austrian population and protection of the environment are a top priority and therefore the creation of strict and binding safety standards for nuclear installations is a major objective of Austrian nuclear policy. In all cases where nuclear power installations have or could have a negative impact on the country, Austria uses all possible legal options to protect its safety interests.

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