Testing and certification procedures are generally transparent. With the adoption of the 1994 telecommunications law, the government has taken steps to bring Austria in line with the EU's more liberal policies. The result is that registration procedures for telecommunications equipment have been liberalized. The investment climate in Austria is favorable, with no formal sectoral or geographic restrictions. The Government of Austria generally welcomes all foreign direct investment, with no discrimination against foreign investors.
Investment incentives are abundant.
In addition to EU structural subsidies available to areas where 41 percent of the population is concentrated, financial incentives are offered by federal, provincial, and local governments, as well as other institutions. However, investors must sometimes deal with complicated administrative procedures to obtain approval for new operations. For foreigners, the purchase of real estate is complicated by varying environmental regulations and land utilization plans of the individual provinces. In one recent case involving the establishment of a large assembly plant, environmental and administrative approval procedures took nearly two years. Austrian residency laws and quotas for foreign labor have caused problems for resident U.S. firms in obtaining resident and work permits for non-EU citizens and their dependents.