COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The EU Environmental Implementation Review Country Report - AUSTRIA Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions The EU Environmental Implementation Review: Common Challenges and how to combine efforts to deliver better results
Date: 2017-02-03
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
Subjects: Austria, EU environmental policy, EU initiative, application of EU law, environmental law, environmental protection, pollution control measures

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 3.2.2017  SWD(2017) 33 final   COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The EU Environmental Implementation Review Country Report - AUSTRIA   Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions The EU Environmental Implementation Review: Common Challenges and how to combine efforts to deliver better results   {COM(2017) 63 final} {SWD(2017) 34 - 60 final}  
 
 
Austria  2 

This  report  has  been  written  by  the  staff  of  the  Directorate-General  for  Environment,  European 
Commission. Any comments are welcome to the following e-mail address: ENV-EIR@ec.europa.eu  

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Austria  3 

Table of Content 

2. 

3. 

Executive summary .......................................................................................................................... 4 
Part I: Thematic Areas ...................................................................................................................... 5 
Turning the EU into a circular, resource-efficient, green and competitive low-carbon 
1. 
economy .................................................................................................................................. 5 
Developing a circular economy and improving resource efficiency ..................................................... 5 
Waste management .............................................................................................................................. 7 
Protecting, conserving and enhancing natural capital ............................................................ 9 
Nature and Biodiversity ......................................................................................................................... 9 
Estimating Natural Capital................................................................................................................... 11 
Green Infrastructure ........................................................................................................................... 12 
Soil protection ..................................................................................................................................... 12 
Ensuring citizens' health and quality of life .......................................................................... 14 
Air quality ............................................................................................................................................ 14 
Water quality and management ......................................................................................................... 16 
Enhancing the sustainability of cities .................................................................................................. 17 
International agreements ................................................................................................................... 18 
Part II: Enabling Framework: Implementation Tools ..................................................................... 19 
4. Market based instruments and investment .............................................................................. 19 
Green taxation and environmentally harmful subsidies ..................................................................... 19 
Green Public Procurement .................................................................................................................. 20 
Investments: the contribution of EU funds ......................................................................................... 21 
5. Effective governance and knowledge ........................................................................................ 23 
Effective governance within central, regional and local government ................................................. 23 
Compliance assurance ......................................................................................................................... 24 
Public participation and access to justice ........................................................................................... 25 
Access to information, knowledge and evidence ................................................................................ 26 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
 
 
 
 
Executive summary 

Austria  4 

low  landfill,  although  waste  generation  is  still  high.  In  a 
(circular  economy,  green 
range  of  policy  areas 
infrastructure) 
developed  modern 
has 
overarching approaches (Master Plan Green Jobs, natural 
capital  accounting) 
implement  environmental 
objectives. 

Austria 

to 

Main Challenges 

The  main  challenges  Austria  faces  with  regard  to 
implementing EU environmental policy and law are: 

 

Improving  the  designation  and  protection of  Natura 
2000 sites. 

  Reducing  nitrogen  oxide  emissions,  in  particular  in 

urban areas. 

Main Opportunities 

Austria  could  perform  better  on  issues  where  a  sound 
knowledge  base  and  good  practices  already  exist.  This 
applies in particular to: 

  Further  development  of  the  natural  capital  account 

approach. 

Points of excellence 

Where Austria leads in environmental implementation, it 
could  share 
innovative  approaches  more  widely 
among other countries. Concrete examples include: 

its 

  Austria  has  established  a  specific  platform  focusing 
on Green Public Procurement, including a help-desk 
for procurement officers to exchange experiences.  
  Austria  has  developed  successful  good  practices  in 
the field of eco-innovation and the circular economy, 
such as the 'Buy Aware' initiative. 

  Austria's Green Infrastructure strategy promotes the 
systematic  integration  of  natural  ecosystems  and 
their services into spatial planning. 

About the Environmental Implementation Review 

launched 

reports  describing 

the 
the  Commission 
In  May  2016, 
Environmental  Implementation  Review  (EIR),  a  two-year 
cycle  of  analysis,  dialogue  and  collaboration  to  improve 
the  implementation  of  existing  EU  environmental  policy 
and  legislation1.  As  a  first  step,  the  Commission  drafted 
28 
the  main  challenges  and 
opportunities on environmental implementation for each 
Member  State.  These  reports  are  meant  to  stimulate  a 
positive debate both on shared environmental challenges 
for  the  EU,  as  well  as  on  the  most  effective  ways  to 
address the key implementation gaps. The reports rely on 
the detailed sectoral implementation reports collected or 
issued  by  the  Commission  under  specific  environmental 
legislation  as  well  as  the  2015  State  of  the  Environment 
Report  and  other  reports  by  the  European  Environment 
Agency.  These  reports  will  not  replace  the  specific 
instruments  to  ensure  compliance  with  the  EU  legal 
obligations.  

The  reports  will  broadly  follow  the  outline  of  the  7th 
Environmental Action Programme2 and refer to the 2030 
related 
for  Sustainable  development  and 
Agenda 
Sustainable Development  Goals  (SDGs)3  to  the  extent  to 
which  they  reflect  the  existing  obligations  and  policy 
objectives of EU environmental law4.  

The  main  challenges  have  been  selected  by  taking  into 
account factors such as the importance or the gravity of 
the  environmental  implementation  issue  in  the  light  of 
the  impact  on  the  quality  of  life  of  the  citizens,  the 
distance to target, and financial implications. 

The  reports  accompany  the  Communication  "The  EU 
Environmental  Implementation  Review  2016:  Common 
challenges  and  how  to  combine  efforts  to  deliver  better 
results", which identifies challenges that are common to 
several Member States, provides preliminary conclusions 
on  possible  root  causes  of  implementation  gaps  and 
proposes  joint  actions  to  deliver  better  results.  It  also 
groups in its Annex the actions proposed in each country 
report to improve implementation at national level. 

General profile 

Austria's  performance 
terms  of  environmental 
protection  is  good.  Water  quality  is  generally  good. 
Waste management is based on high recycling rates and 

in 

1 Communication "Delivering the benefits of EU environmental policies 

through a regular Environmental Implementation Review" 
(COM/2016/ 316 final). 

2 Decision No. 1386/2013/EU of 20 November 2013 on a General Union 
Environmental Action Programme to 2020 "Living well, within the 
limits of our planet". 

3 United Nations, 2015. The Sustainable Development Goals  
4 This EIR report does not cover climate change, chemicals and energy. 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
 
                                                            
 
 
 
Austria  5 

Part I: Thematic Areas 

1. Turning the EU into a circular, resource-efficient, green and 

competitive low-carbon economy 

Developing  a  circular  economy  and  improving 
resource efficiency 

to meet the target established in the Action Plan.  
Figure 1: Resource productivity 2003-157 

The 2015 Circular Economy Package emphasizes the need 
to  move  towards  a  lifecycle-driven  ‘circular’  economy, 
with a cascading use of resources and residual waste that 
is  close  to  zero.  This  can  be  facilitated  by  the 
development  of,  and  access  to,  innovative  financial 
instruments and funding for eco-innovation. 

SDG  8  invites  countries  to  promote  sustained,  inclusive 
and  sustainable  economic  growth,  full  and  productive 
employment  and  decent  work  for  all.  SDG  9  highlights 
infrastructure,  promote 
the  need  to  build  resilient 
inclusive  and  sustainable  industrialization  and  foster 
innovation.  SDG 12  encourages countries  to  achieve  the 
sustainable  management  and  efficient  use  of  natural 
resources by 2030. 

Measures towards a circular economy 
Transforming our economies from linear to circular offers 
an  opportunity  to  reinvent  them  and  make  them  more 
stimulate 
sustainable  and  competitive.  This  will 
investments and bring both short and long-term benefits 
for the economy, environment and citizens alike5. 

Austria  is  below  average  in  the  EU  in  terms  of  resource 
productivity  (how  efficiently  the  economy  uses  material 
resources  to  produce  wealth),  with  1.65  EUR/kg  (EU 
average  is  2)  in  20156.  This  might  be  explained  by  the 
high  income  and  an  export-orientated  manufacturing 
sector  in  Austria.  Figure  1  shows  a  modest  but  stable 
increase in resource productivity since 2011. 

In  Austria,  to  date,  no  overarching  circular  economy 
policy  programme  exists.  A  number  of  measures  and 
initiatives  have  been  set  up  by  different  government 
bodies in recent years relating to eco-innovation and – to 
a limited extent – to circular economy. As well as relevant 
Ministries  other  organisations,  such  as  the  Austrian 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  play  an  important  role  in  (co-
)financing eco-innovation-related initiatives.  

In 2012, Austria adopted a resource efficiency Action Plan 
to  improve  the  overall  resource  efficiency  by  50  % 
compared to 2008, by 2020. Since in a business-as-usual 
scenario productivity of resources is expected to grow at 
an annual rate of 1.2%, additional efforts will be needed 

5 European Commission, 2015. Proposed Circular Economy Package 
6 Eurostat, Resource productivity, accessed October 2016 

In addition, the recently developed RESET2020 initiative, 
aiming  at  integrating  resource  efficiency  in  the  areas  of 
environmental  technologies  and  sustainable  production 
and  consumption,  is  one  of  the  first  initiatives  that 
explicitly put circular economy principles in the centre. 

Concerning  the  opportunities  within  Austria,  several 
regional development initiatives are founded around the 
principles  of  a  circular  economy  and  energy  autonomy. 
These  include,  among  others,  the  Styrian  Volcano  Land 
(www.vulkanland.at), 
for 
Renewable 
the  BioRegion 
Energy 
Mühlviertel9 or the Energy Vision Murau10. 

the 
in  Güssing8, 

European 

Centre 

Austria  has  many  good  practices  in  the  field  of  eco-
innovation  and  circular  economy.  One 
is  “Bewusst 
kaufen”: the initiative "Buy Aware" is the first web portal 
for  sustainable  consumption 
in  Austria.  It  aims  to 
increase  consumer  awareness  of  sustainable  products 
and  provides  extensive 
information  on  options  for 
conscious, sustainable consumption. 

The  number  of  employees  in  the  environmental  goods 
and  services  sector  has  risen  slightly  from  167,665  full-
time equivalents (FTE) in 2008 to around 182,534 FTE in 
201311.  The  Austrian  Federal  Ministry  of  Agriculture, 
Forestry, 
and  Water  Management 
(BMLFUW)  considers  that  every  20th  job  is  in  the 

Environment 

7 Eurostat, Resource productivity, accessed October 2016 
8 Güssing Renwable Energy Centre  
9 Bioregion Mühlviertel  
10 Energy Vision Murau   
11 Eurostat, Employment in the environmental goods and services 

sector, accessed June 2016 

 Environmental Implementation Report– Austria 

 
 
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
environment  sector  and  that  11%  of  the  GDP  are 
generated  by  this  sector.  Between  2008  and  2011  the 
environmental industry showed a clear positive trend as 
regards  the  development  of  green  jobs.  While  in  the 
economy  at  large  employment  increased  by  only  0.4%, 
employment  in  the  environment  sector  saw  a  notable 
plus  with  a growth  of  2.1%.  During  the  same  period  the 
turnover  in  the  environment  sector  rose  by  5.1%,  thus 
reaching EUR 2.6 billion. 
In  2010,  Austria  set  up  a  master  plan  on  "green  jobs"12 
with  the  aim  of  increasing  the  number  of  employees  in 
the  environmental  sector  by  100,000  until  2020.  The 
master  plan  is  supported  by  the  specific  online  portal 
green-jobs13  and  a  targeted  qualification 
initiative 
klimaaktiv Bildungskoordination14. 

In  general,  Austria  offers  a  wide  range  of  measures  to 
support  business  in  improving  its  resource  efficiency, 
ranging from voluntary measures to regulatory measures. 
An  analysis15  shows  that  Austria  offers  nine  out  of  ten 
assessed  support  activities  so  that  it  belongs  to  the  ten 
best  performing  Member  States.  The  following  initiative 
could  be  mentioned  as  successful  examples:  As  regards 
providing  targeted  resource  efficiency  information  and 
advice  to  companies  the  ÖKOPROFIT  programme  which 
was launched in 1991 and which aims to help companies 
to implement environmental measures, thereby reducing 
industrial emissions, decreasing the operational costs for 
companies  and  strengthening  the  partnership  between 
public agencies, companies and experts.  

SME and resource efficiency 
In  the  Flash  426  Eurobarometer  "SMEs,  resource 
efficiency  and  green  markets"16  it  is  shown  that  63%  of 
Austrian's  SMEs  have  invested  up  to  5%  of  their  annual 
turnover 
in  their  resource  efficiency  actions  (EU28 
average  50%),  43%  of  them are  currently  offering  green 
products and services, 67% took measures to save energy 
(EU28  average  59%),  61%  to  minimise  waste  (EU28 
average  60%),  39%  to  save  water  (EU28  average  44%), 
and  57%  to  save  materials  (EU28  average  54%).  From  a 
circular  economy  perspective,  47%  took  measures  to 
recycle by reusing material or waste within the company, 
31% to design products that are easier to maintain, repair 
or reuse and 30% were able to sell their scrap material to 
another company.  

12 Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und 

Wasserwirtschaft, 2010. Masterplan "green jobs"  

13 Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und 

Wasserwirtschaft: Karriereportal green jobs:  

14 Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und 

Wasserwirtschaft: klimaaktiv Bildungskoordination 

15 Martin Hirschnitz-Garbers, Mandy Hinzmann, Emma Watkins, Patrick 
ten Brink, Leonidas Milios and Sebastien Soleille, 2016. A framework 
for Member States to support business in improving its resource 
efficiency, 2015, p. 59 

16 European Commission, 2015. Flash 426 Eurobarometer "SMEs, 

resource efficiency and green markets" 

Austria  6 

According  to  Eurobarometer17,  the  resource  efficiency 
actions  undertaken  allowed  the  reduction  of  production 
costs in 35% of Austrian SMEs. 

SMEs provide more than two thirds of jobs and over 60% 
of total value added. The Eurobarometer shows that 34% 
of  the  SMEs  in  Austria  have  one  or  more  full  time 
employee  working  in  a  green  job  at  least  some  of  the 
time.  Austria  has  an  average  number  of  1.6  full  time 
green employees per SME. 

Eco-innovation 
With  a  total  score  of  108  in  the  overall  Eco-Innovation 
Scoreboard (Eco-IS) 2015, Austria ranked eighth in the list 
of  EU  countries,  located  between  France  and  Spain  and 
slightly  above  the  EU  average  as  shown  in  Figure  2. 
Compared with the Eco-IS used in the last country profile 
from  2013,  Austria  thus  improved  its  ranking  by  one 
place.  
Figure 2: Eco-Innovation Index 2015 (EU=100)18 

200  Austrian 

Regarding  drivers  of  eco-innovation  activities,  a  survey 
eco-innovative 
conducted 
among 
entrepreneurs  revealed  the  most 
important  driving 
forces  and  framework  conditions  for  business  actors 
(Eurobarometer, 2011). According to this survey, the key 
drivers for high eco-innovation activity in Austria are the 
availability  of  suitable  business  partners,  potential  high 

17 European Commission, 2015. Flash 426 Eurobarometer "SMEs, 

resource efficiency and green markets" 

18 Eco-innovation Observatory: Eco-Innovation scoreboard 2015 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
                                                            
 
                                                            
in  the 

future,  expected 

limitations 
energy  prices 
regarding  access  to  raw  materials,  technological  and 
management  skills  available  within  the  companies,  and 
access to relevant knowledge19. 

Regarding  general  driving  forces  in  support  of  eco-
innovation  in  Austria,  several  issues  have  already  been 
highlighted  in  previous  country  reports  of  the  Eco-
Innovation  Observatory  (EIO),  which  continue  to  have 
high relevance:  

  Well-established, 

fast-growing 

and 

innovative 

 

environmental technologies sector.  
Significant 
company-related 
development.  

in  funding 
research 

increase 

in  the  area  of 
technology 

and 

However,  actors 
in  Austria  also  face  a  number  of 
important  barriers,  several  of  which  are  closely 
connected to the structure of the Austrian economy and 
business sectors, such as the following: 

 

SME-type  structure  of  the  industry  and  notably  the 
limited  financial  and  human  resources  in  SMEs,  and 
difficult  trade-offs  due  to  scarce  resources  either  in 
R&D or in production and planning.  
  weak domestic eco-industry market.  
  perception of Austrian business representatives that 
investments  into  new,  eco-innovative  technologies 
represent a disproportionate risk.  

Austria has 286 organisations registered for EMAS, which 
represents 7% of all registered organisations.  

Concerning  the  EU  Eco-label,  Austria  has  187  licenses, 
which makes Austria the fifth Member State in terms of 
Eco-label licenses. 

The  Minister  of  Environment  has  launched  the  initiative 
“Best of Austria” in 2016 to promote products and ideas 
including  environmental 
from  Austrian  companies, 
technologies. 

Waste management  

Turning waste into a resource requires: 
 

implementation  of  Union  waste 

Full 
legislation, 
which  includes  the  waste  hierarchy;  the  need  to 
ensure  separate  collection  of  waste;  the  landfill 
diversion targets etc. 

  Reducing  per  capita  waste  generation  and  waste 

 

generation in absolute terms. 
Limiting energy recovery to non-recyclable materials 
recyclable  or 
and  phasing  out 
recoverable waste. 

landfilling  of 

SDG  12  invites  countries  to  substantially  reduce  waste 
generation  through  prevention,  reduction,  recycling  and 
reuse, by 2030.  

19 IHS, 2014. Das Potenzial von Öko-Innovationen für den Standort 

Österreich. Institut für Höhere Studien (IHS), Wien. 

Austria  7 

The EU's approach to waste management is based on the 
"waste  hierarchy"  which  sets  out  an  order  of  priority 
when  shaping  waste  policy  and  managing  waste  at  the 
operational 
level:  prevention,  (preparing  for)  reuse, 
recycling,  recovery  and,  as  the  least  preferred  option, 
disposal  (which 
incineration 
without energy recovery). The progress towards reaching 
recycling 
the  adoption  of  adequate 
WMP/WPP20  should  be  the  key  items  to  measure  the 
performance  of  Member  States.  This  section  focuses  on 
management  of  municipal  waste  for  which  EU  law  sets 
mandatory recycling targets. 

landfilling  and 

targets  and 

includes 

Figure 3: Municipal waste by treatment in Austria 2007-
1421 

Municipal  waste22  generation 
in  Austria  has  been 
decreasing over the years. However, waste generation is 
still  relatively  high  compared  to  the  EU  average  (566 
kg/y/inhabitant  compared  to  around  474  kg  on  EU 
average). 

Austria  is  among  the  top  performers  in  the  EU  with 
regard  to  waste  management.  Figure  3  depicts  the 
municipal  waste  by  treatment  in  Austria  in  terms  of  kg 
per  capita.  What  can  be  seen  from  the  statistics  is  that 
the  rate  of 
increased,  while 
incineration  slightly 
composting rates slightly decreased.  

Figure  4  shows  that  Austria  has  already  met  all  the  EU 
recycling  targets23,  including  packaging  waste  recycling. 

20 Waste Management Plans/Waste Prevention Programmes 
21 Eurostat, Municipal waste and treatment, by type of treatment 

method, accessed October 2016 

22 Municipal waste consists of waste collected by or on behalf of 

municipal authorities, or directly by the private sector (business or 
private non-profit institutions) not on behalf of municipalities. 

23 Member States may choose a different method than the one used by 
ESTAT (and referred to in this report) to calculate their recycling rates 
and track compliance with the 2020 target of 50% recycling of 
municipal waste. 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
Austria  8 

instruments,  to  promote  prevention,  make  reuse  and 
recycling more economically attractive. 

  Shift  reusable  and  recyclable  waste  away 

from 
incineration  by  gradually  phasing  out  subsidies  to 
incineration. 

The 2014 recycling rate of municipal waste was relatively 
high  (58%  of  which  32%  is  composting)  and  was  well 
above  EU  level  (44%).  The  landfilling  rate  in  Austria  is 
very  low  (4%)  and  far  below  the  EU  average  (28%). 
Austria  has  complied  with  both  the  2006  and  the  2009 
landfill  diversion  targets.  In  2009  Austria  had  already  a 
ban  on  landfilling  of  biodegradable  municipal  waste  in 
place.  
Figure 4: Recycling rate of municipal waste 2007-1424 

In the light of the on-going review of the recycling targets 
and  landfill  restrictions  for  municipal  waste25,  additional 
efforts will be needed to meet the recycling target of 65% 
for  2030.  Therefore  Austria  should  now  focus  on 
prevention  and  diverting  waste  from  incineration  to 
recycling. 

Extended  Producer  Responsibility  (EPR)  systems  are  in 
place for different waste streams. However, some MS are 
covering  more  waste  streams  than  Austria.  Incentive 
in 
systems  to  favour  prevention  and  participation 
separate  collection  schemes  (Pay  as  you  throw-system, 
PAYT  systems)  are  in  place  but  don’t  cover  the  whole 
country. 

Moving towards the targets of the Roadmap on resource 
efficiency which outlines how we can transform Europe's 
economy  into  a  sustainable  one  by  2050,  could  create 
over  3400  additional  jobs  and  increase  the  annual 
turnover of the waste sector by over EUR 350 million26. 

Suggested action 

  Introduce  new  policy  instruments,  including  economic 

24 Eurostat, Recycling rate of municipal waste, accessed October 2016 
25 European Union, Proposal for a Directive on the landfill of waste, 
COM/2015/0594 & European Union, Proposal for a Directive 
amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste, COM/2015/0595 
26 European Commission, Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe, 
COM/2011/571, which outlines how we can transform Europe's 
economy into a sustainable one by 2050. 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
 
                                                            
 
 
2. Protecting, conserving and enhancing natural capital 

Nature and Biodiversity  

having coverages around 6%. 

Austria  9 

The  EU  Biodiversity  Strategy  aims  to  halt  the  loss  of 
biodiversity  in  the  EU  by  2020,  restore  ecosystems  and 
their services in so far as feasible, and step up efforts to 
avert  global  biodiversity  loss.  The  EU  Birds  and  Habitats 
Directives  aim  at  achieving  favourable  conservation 
status of protected species and habitats.  

SDG  14  requires  countries  to  conserve  and  sustainably 
use the oceans, seas and marine resources, while SDG 15 
requires  countries  to  protect,  restore  and  promote  the 
sustainable  use  of  terrestrial  ecosystems,  sustainably 
manage  forests,  combat  desertification,  and  halt  and 
reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. 

The  1992  EU  Habitats  Directive  and  the  1979  Birds 
Directive are the cornerstone of the European legislation 
aimed  at  the  conservation  of  the  EU's  wildlife.  Natura 
2000, the largest coordinated network of protected areas 
in  the  world,  is  the  key  instrument  to  achieve  and 
implement the Directives' objectives to ensure the  long-
term  protection,  conservation  and  survival  of  Europe's 
most  valuable  and  threatened  species  and  habitats  and 
the ecosystems they underpin. 

The  adequate  designation  of  protected  sites  as  Special 
Ares  of  Conservation  (SAC)  under  the  Habitats  Directive 
and  as  Special  Protection  Areas  (SPA)  under  the  Birds 
Directive 
is  a  key  milestone  towards  meeting  the 
objectives  of  the  Directives.  The  results  of  Habitats 
Directive Article 17 and Birds Directive Article 12 reports 
and  the  progress  towards  adequate  Sites  of  Community 
Importance (SCI)-SPA and SAC designation27 both in land 
and  at  sea,  should  be  the  key  items  to  measure  the 
performance of Member States. 

landscape, 
Austria  has  an  exceptionally  diversified 
climate and hence biodiversity. In Austria, the Alpine, the 
Continental  and  the  Pannonian  biogeographic  regions 
converge.  Agriculture  and  forestry  areas  account  for 
about 80% of the country’s territory.  

By early 2016, 15.1 % of the Austrian national territory is 
covered by Natura 2000 (EU average 18.1 %), with Birds 
Directive Special Protection Areas (SPAs) covering 10.9 % 
(EU  average  12.3  %)  and  Habitats  Directive  Sites  of 
Community 
(EU 
average  13.8  %).  However,  there  are  substantial 
variations amongst the 9 Austrian regions in the share of 
land  covered  by  Natura  2000,  two  of  the  regions  only 

(SCIs)  covering  12.1% 

Importance 

27 Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) are designated pursuant to the 
Habitats Directive whereas Special Areas of Protection (SPAs) are 
designated pursuant to the Birds Directive; figures of coverage do 
not add up due to the fact that some SCIs and SPAs overlap. Special 
Areas of Conservation (SACs) means a SCI designated by the Member 
States. 

The  latest  EU-wide  assessment  of  the  SCIs  part  of  the 
Natura 2000 network shows that there are insufficiencies 
in designation28 as shown in Figure 529. This is subject to 
an infringement procedure.  

Figure  5:  Sufficiency  assessment  of  SCI  networks  in 
Austria  based  on  the  situation  until  December  2013 
(%)30  

Austria is largely compliant with the formal (Special Areas 
of  Conservation)  SAC  designation  requirements  that 
concern those SCIs that have been proposed more than 6 
years  ago.  Many  of  the  site-level  SAC  designation  acts, 
while  formally  indicating  conservation  objectives  and 
measures,  are  unlikely  to  provide  a  sufficient  level  of 
protection  against  site  deterioration.  This  is  notably 
because they include an exemption of all "contemporary 
agricultural  and 
from  the  site 
forestry  practises" 
protection  requirements.  In  the  last  years,  there  is 
is 
increasingly  strong  evidence  that  this  exemption 
leading  towards  a  widespread  (and  perhaps  systematic) 

28 For each Member State, the Commission assesses whether the 
species and habitat types on Annexes I and II of the Habitats 
Directive are sufficiently represented by the sites designated to date. 
This is expressed as a percentage of species and habitats for which 
further areas need to be designated in order to complete the 
network in that country. The current data, which were assessed in 
2014-2015, reflect the situation up until December 2013. 

29 The percentages in Figure 5 refer to percentages of the total number 
of assessments (one assessment covering 1 species or 1 habitat in a 
given biographical region with the Member State); if a habitat type or 
a species occurs in more than 1 Biogeographic region within a given 
Member State, there will be as many individual assessments as there 
are Biogeographic regions with an occurrence of that species or 
habitat in this Member State. 

30 European Commission, internal assessment. 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
Austria in 2007/2013 (%)36 

Austria  10 

Figure 7 shows that as far as birds are concerned, 70% of 
the  breeding  species  showed  short-term  increasing  or 
stable population trends (for wintering species this figure 
was 68%). 

Figure  7:  Short-term  population  trend  of  breeding  and 
wintering bird species in Austria in 2012 (%)37 

deterioration  of  many  habitats  and  decline  of  many 
species  populations  for  which  sites  have  initially  been 
designated. 

The  level  of  nature-related  complaints  and  infringement 
cases  is  overall  high  in  Austria,  which  might  partially  be 
explained  by  the  absence  of  a  federal 
legislation 
transposing  the  EU  Nature  directives31.  Therefore,  each 
of  the  nine  Länder  has  a  different  legal  basis  for 
implementing  the  EU  nature  directives.  In  addition  to 
this, the high number of complaints can be also explained 
by the insufficient access to justice. For example, citizens 
and  NGOs  turn  to  the  Commission  because  no  legal 
redress  is  available  in  Austria  apart  from  EIA  and  IPPC 
procedures. 
The Austrian report under Article 12 Birds Directive32 and 
Article  17  Habitats  Directive33  confirm  that  species  and 
habitats  depending  on  agricultural  land  use  are  those 
that are suffering the most serious declines.  

This  is  primarily  due  to  widespread  agricultural land use 
intensification  in  the  more  favoured  areas,  but  land 
abandonment  is  an  increasing  issue  in  higher  alpine 
regions,  in  particular  for  alpine  semi-natural  grassland 
habitats and associated species.  

According to the latest report on the conservation status 
of habitats and species covered by the Habitats Directive, 
13.9%  of  the  habitats'  biogeographic  assessments  were 
favourable in 2013 (EU 27: 16 %). On the other hand, 41 
%  are  considered  to  be  unfavourable–inadequate34 
(EU27:  47%)  and  39  %  are  unfavourable  –  bad  (EU27: 
30%). As for the species, 15.9 % of the assessments were 
favourable  in  2013  (EU  27:  23%)  47  %  at  unfavourable-
inadequate  (EU27:  42%)  and  34%  unfavourable-bad 
status  (EU27:  18%).  This  is  depicted  in  Figure  635.  Only 
9.8%  and  3%  of 
the  unfavourable  assessments 
respectively  for  species  and  habitats  were  showing  a 
the  unfavourable 
positive 
assessments  remained  the  same  with  regard  to  habitats 
between 2007and 2013, the trend for species improved. 

in  2013.  While 

trend 

Figure 6: Conservation status of habitats and species in 

31 According to the Austrian Constitution nature protection falls within 

the competence of the provinces. 

32 Article 12 of the Birds Directive requires Member States to report 
about the progress made with the implementation of the Birds 
Directive. 

33 The core of the ‘Article 17’ report is the assessment of conservation 

status of the habitats and species targeted by the Habitats Directive.  

34 Conservation status is assessed using a standard methodology as 

being either ‘favourable’, ‘unfavourable-inadequate’ and 
‘unfavourable-bad’, based on four parameters as defined in Article 1 
of the Habitats Directive. 

35 Please note that a direct comparison between 2007 and 2013 data is 
complicated by the fact that Bulgaria and Romania were not covered 
by the 2007 reporting cycle, that the ‘unknown’ assessments have 
strongly diminished particularly for species, and that some reported 
changes are not genuine as they result from improved data / 
monitoring methods. 

Austria is the only EU member State where a population 
of  large  carnivore  species  became  extinct  since  EU 
accession  of  the  country  (Central  Alpine  brown  bear 
population). Whereas populations of large carnivores are 
overall increasing in Europe, no such increase currently in 

36 These figures show the percentage of biogeographical assessments in 
each category of conservation status for habitats and species (one 
assessment covering 1 species or 1 habitat in a given biographical 
region with the Member State), respectively. The information is 
based on Article 17 of the Habitats Directive reporting - national 
summary of Austria 

37 Article 12 of the Birds Directive reporting - national summary of 

Austria 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
                                                            
 
 
                                                            
observed  in  Austria.  Media  reports  suggest  that  high 
levels of illegal poaching are the main driver behind this 
phenomenon.  
The  5th  national  report  to  the  Convention  on  Biological 
Diversity (CBD)38 indicates a net deterioration of 7–8% for 
habitat  types  and  2–3%  for  species,  compared  to  the 
previous  reporting  period  covering  2001-2006.  The 
conservation  status  of  habitats  and  species 
less 
favourable  in  the  continental  than  in  the  Alpine  region. 
Amongst all ecosystem types in Austria freshwater, mire 
and grassland ecosystems are doing worst. 

is 

land 

threats 

to  biodiversity 

caused  by  housing  and 

include  agricultural 
Major 
intensification  and  land  abandonment,  increased  sealing 
of 
infrastructure 
development with the related loss and fragmentation of 
habitats;  afforestation  and  dead  wood 
removal; 
invasive  alien 
pollution,  hydrological  modifications, 
species and climate change. 

Compared to other Member States of similar size, Austria 
has  been  very  successful 
in  obtaining  LIFE-Nature 
funding, in particular for Alpine river restoration projects. 
Austrian regional river administrations are well suited for 
preparing  and  implementing  such  projects,  successfully 
combining nature conservation and flood protection.  

3.9 million hectare (46%) of the total area in Austria are 
forest  land39  (0.5  ha  per  capita).  The  forest  area  is 
steadily increasing by some 2000 ha a year depending on 
afforestation  of  abandoned  agricultural  land.  Coniferous 
forests  of  mixed  and/or  pure  stands  of  spruce,  fir,  pine, 
larch,  beach,  maple,  oak,  alder,  etc.  find  good  growing 
conditions. 80% (3.1 million hectare) serve as commercial 
forests, 20% are protected forests. 

The  main  tree  species  are  conifers  (70%,  predominantly 
spruce;  and  30%  broad-leaved  species  (mainly  beech). 
Slightly above a  half  (53%)  is  small  private  forests  (<200 
ha),  32%  private  estates  (>200  ha),  and  15%  federal 
forests. 

Suggested action 

38 Austria:  5th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity 
39 FAO Forest harvesting and environment in Austria 

Austria  11 

  Complete the SAC designation process and put in place 
clearly  defined  conservation  objectives  and 
the 
necessary  conservation  measures  for  the  sites  and 
provide  adequate  resources  for  their  implementation 
in  order  to  maintain/restore  species  and  habitats  of 
community interest to a favourable conservation status 
across their natural range.  
  Develop  and  promote 

streamlined 
implementation  approaches,  in  particular  as  regards 
site  and  species  permitting  procedures,  ensuring  the 
necessary knowledge and data availability. 

smart  and 

Estimating Natural Capital 

The EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 calls on the Member 
States  to  map  and  asses  the  state  of  ecosystems  and 
their  services  in  their  national  territory  by  2014,  assess 
the  economic  value  of  such  services,  and  promote  the 
integration of these values into accounting and reporting 
systems at EU and national level by 2020. 

MAES  related  activities 
in  Austria  focused  on  the 
development of biodiversity indicators. The mapping and 
assessing of ecosystems and their services40 is also part of 
the  Austrian  Strategy  on  Biological  Diversity  2020+ 
published in 201441. Further activities regarding mapping 
and  assessing  of  ecosystems  and  their  services  are 
planned. 

A  2013  report  on  the  situation  and  the  significance  of 
biological  diversity  maps  out  the  different  types  of 
ecosystems and evaluated their conditions.42 

Work on natural capital accounting is at an early stage of 
development43  with  a  number  of  initiatives  for  the 
improvement  of  the  knowledge  base.  A  nation-wide 
mapping  of  ecosystems  is  underway  with  a  spatial 
resolution of 10 x 10 metres44. An inventory of ecosystem 
services 
into  account 
human well-being and economic input, was published in 
201145 followed by an inventory of ecosystem services of 
forests  in  201546.  A  2011  study47  supplied  the  first 
experience  with  monetary  assessments  of  ecosystem 
services, along stretches of the river Mur in Styria. A 2015 
report examined the potential, requirements and risks of 

in  agricultural  context,  taking 

40 Ecosystem services are benefits provided by nature such as food, 
clean water and pollination on which human society depends. 
41 Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und 

Wasserwirtschaft, 2014. Biodiversitäts-Strategie Österreich 2020+ 

42 Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Wasser und 

Umweltwirtschaft, 2013. Zustand und Bedeutung der biologischen 
Vielfalt in Österreich. 

43 Austria:  5th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity: 
44 Peterseil, 2014. Karte der Habitattypen in Österreich 
45 Götzl, M. et al., 2011. Ökosystemleistungen und Landwirtschaft. 

Erstellung eines Inventars für Österreich. 

46 Götzl, M. et al, 2015. Ökosystemleistungen des Waldes. Erstellung 

eines Inventars für Österreich 

47 Getzner et al., 2011.: Fließstrecken der Mur – Ermittlung der 

Ökosystemleistungen – Endbericht. 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
 
                                                            
                                                            
Austria  12 

the Ybbs rivers through Life+ projects; and other projects. 

the  economic  valuation  of  ecosystem  services48.  An 
assessment  and  economic  valuation  of  five  ecosystem 
services  were  carried  out  by  the  Austrian  Federal 
Forests49. 

Suggested action 

  Provide  government  support  to 

improve 
knowledge  on  the  mapping  and  assessment  of 
ecosystems  and  their services,  including valuation  and 
development of natural capital accounting systems. 

further 

Green Infrastructure  
The  EU  strategy  on  green  infrastructure50  promotes  the 
incorporation  of  green  infrastructure  into  related  plans 
and  programmes  to  help  overcome  fragmentation  of 
habitats  and  preserve  or  restore  ecological  connectivity, 
enhance  ecosystem  resilience  and  thereby  ensure  the 
continued provision of ecosystem services. 

Green  Infrastructure  provides  ecological,  economic  and 
social  benefits  through  natural  solutions.  It  helps  to 
understand the value of the benefits that nature provides 
to human society and to mobilise investments to sustain 
and enhance them. 
The  Austrian  Biodiversity  Strategy  2020+51 
includes 
actions  to  strengthen  biotope  connectivity.  Austria  has 
specific targets for integrating biodiversity and ecosystem 
services  in  spatial  planning52,  with  measures  such  as  
incorporating ecological infrastructure in spatial planning, 
consideration  of  functional  connectivity  and  the  habitat 
network when establishing compensating areas, increase 
of  grasslands  in  urban  areas,  abandoned  buildings  and 
the  provision  of  features  that  promote  biodiversity  in 
newly  established  green  areas,  and  the  preservation  of 
un-fragmented  areas  and  migration  corridors.  Most 
activities  are  executed  at  the  local  or  federal  province 
level and are funded by a variety of sources, including EU 
support. 

Green  Infrastructure  projects  in  Austria  include  cross-
border  spatial  planning  and  habitat  management 
measures  in  the  Alps-Carpathians  passage  aimed  at 
creating  and  preserving  a  coherent  120-km  wide 
ecological corridor from the Alps to the Carpathians; the 
restoration  of  the  Lower  Morava  Floodplains  to  near-
natural  river  dynamics  and  new  land-use  practices;  the 
restoration  of  the  floodplain  habitats  of  the  Traisen  and 

48 Schwaiger, E. Berthold et al, 2015. Wirtschaftliche Bedeutung von 

Ökosystemleistungen. Monetäre Bewertung: Risiken und Potenziale. 
Umweltbundesamt Report 

49 Österreichische Bundesforste, 2016: Werte der Natur – Ermittlung, 
Bewertung, Ausblick. Fachjournal der NaturraummanagerInnen, 
Natur. Raum .Management, Nr. 28. 

50 European Union, Green Infrastructure — Enhancing Europe’s Natural 

Capital, COM/2013/0249 

51 Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und 

Wasserwirtschaft, 2014. Biodiversitäts-Strategie Österreich 2020+ 

52 5th National Report to the CBD 

League 

for  Nature  Conservation 
The  Austrian 
(Naturschutzbund) 
purchase, 
coordinates 
management  and  public  awareness  raising  activities  in 
the  1,300km  that  Austria  contributes  to  the  European 
Green Belt53. 

land 

Soil protection  

further 

soil  degradation  and 

The  EU  Soil  Thematic  Strategy  highlights  the  need  to 
ensure  a  sustainable  use  of  soils.  This  requires  the 
prevention  of 
the 
preservation of its functions, as well as the restoration of 
degraded  soils.  The  2011  Road  Map  for  Resource-
Efficient  Europe,  part  of  Europe  2020  Strategy  provides 
that  by  2020,  EU  policies  take  into  account  their  direct 
and  indirect  impact  on  land  use  in  the  EU  and  globally, 
and  the  rate  of  land  take  is  on  track  with  an  aim  to 
achieve no net land take by 2050. 

SDG  15  requires  countries  to  combat  desertification, 
restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by 
desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve 
a land-degradation-neutral world by 2030. 

Soil is an important resource for life and the economy. It 
provides  key  ecosystem  services  including  the  provision 

53The European Green Belt is a cross-border initiative to protect, restore 
and connect high-value natural and cultural landscapes along the line 
of the former Iron Curtain in Europe. 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
                                                            
                                                            
Figure 8: Land Cover types in Austria 201259 

Austria  13 

fragile 

resource  and 

of food, fibre and biomass for renewable energy, carbon 
sequestration,  water  purification  and  flood  regulation, 
the provision of raw and building material. Soil is a finite 
and  extremely 
increasingly 
degrading  in  the  EU.  Land  taken  by  urban  development 
and infrastructure is highly unlikely to be reverted to its 
natural  state;  it  consumes  mostly  agricultural  land  and 
increases  fragmentation  of  habitats.  Soil  protection  is 
indirectly  addressed  in  existing EU policies  in  areas  such 
as  agriculture,  water,  waste,  chemicals,  and  prevention 
of industrial pollution. 

Artificial  land  cover  is  used  for  settlements,  production 
systems and infrastructure. It may itself be split between 
built-up areas (buildings) and non-built-up areas (such as 
linear transport networks and associated areas). 

Built-up  land  in  Austria  is  regularly  monitored  based  on 
cadastre data. In 2015, built-up land amounted to 6.6 % 
of  the  national  area.  The  actually  high  annual  land  take 
rate  is  currently  slightly  decreasing,  namely  from  8,150 
hectare in the period from 2009 to 2012 to 5,916 hectare 
in the period from 2012 to 201554. 

The  annual  land  take  rate  (growth  of  artificial  areas)  as 
provided  by  CORINE  Land  Cover  was  0.21%  in  Austria 
over the period 2006-12, below the EU average (0.41%). 
It represented 947.5 hectares per year55.  

The  soil  erosion  rate  in  2009  was  3.8  tonnes  per  ha  per 
year,  some  above  EU28  average  (2.46  tonnes)56.  Studies 
in  2012  and  2014  show  similar  results,  but  are  not  yet 
published57.  Soil  protecting  cultivation  supported  by  the 
Austrian agri-environment-programme has already led to 
an increased humus content in Austria’s agricultural soils 
as well to a lower soil erosion rate for 3.4 t/ha/year58. 

There  are  still  not  EU-wide  datasets  enabling  the 
provision of benchmark indicators for soil organic matter 
decline, contaminated sites, pressures on soil biology and 
diffuse  pollution.  An  updated  inventory  and  assessment 
of soil protection policy instruments in Austria and other 
EU  Member States is  being  performed  by  the  EU  Expert 
Group on Soil Protection. 

Figure 8 shows the different land cover types in Austria in 
2012. 

54 Environment Agency Austria, Flächeninanspruchnahme  
55 European Environment Agency Draft results of CORINE Land Cover 

(CLC) inventory 2012; mean annual land take 2006-12 as a % of 2006 
artificial land. 

56 Eurostat, Soil water erosion rate, Figure 2, accessed November 2016 
57 wpa, 2009: Abschätzung des Bodenabtrags in Österreich und 

Integration der Daten in die INVEKOS-Datenbank. Beschreibung der 
Berechnungsmethode und Ergebnisse für die Jahre 2007 und 2008. 
wpa Beratende Ingenieure GmbH, Wien; and: wpa, 2010: 
Abschätzung des Bodenabtrags in Österreich. Ergänzende 
Berechnungen für das Jahr 2009. wpa Beratende Ingenieure GmbH, 
Wien 

59 European Environment Agency. Land cover 2012 and changes country 

58 AGES, 2011: Bodenschutz durch umweltgerechte Landwirtschaft, p. 9 

analysis [publication forthcoming] 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
                                                            
 
 
                                                            
3. Ensuring citizens' health and quality of life 

Austria  14 

Air quality  

The  EU  Clean  Air  Policy  and  legislation  require  that  air 
quality  in  the  Union  is  significantly  improved,  moving 
closer  to  the  WHO  recommended  levels.  Air  pollution 
and its impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity should be 
further reduced with the long-term aim of not exceeding 
critical  loads  and  levels.  This  requires  strengthening 
efforts  to  reach  full  compliance  with  Union  air  quality 
legislation  and  defining  strategic  targets  and  actions 
beyond 2020. 

The  EU  has  developed  a  comprehensive  suite  of  air 
legislation60,  which  establishes  health-based 
quality 
standards  and  objectives  for  a  number  of  air  pollutants. 
As  part  of  this,  Member  States  are  also  required  to 
Figure 9: Attainment situation for PM10, NO2 and O3 in 2014 

for  nitrogen  oxides  (-30 %)  and  a  slight  increase  of 
in  non-compliance  with 
ammonia  emissions  result 
current  ceilings:  these  are  exceeded  by  47%  and  2%, 
respectively.  It  should  be  noted  that  the  exceedance  of 
the current ceiling for nitrogen oxides is partly due to the 
non-delivery  of  the  Euro  standards  for  diesel  vehicles, 
while  the  exceedance  of  the  ceiling  for  ammonia  partly 
results  from  the  reporting  of  new  sources  of  emissions 
which  were  not  estimated  or  considered  at  the  time 
when the emission ceilings were set. 

At the same time, air quality in Austria continues to give 
cause  for  concern.  For  the  year  2013,  the  European 
Environment  Agency  estimated 
that  about  6 960 
premature  deaths  were  attributable  to  fine  particulate 

that  up-to-date 

ensure 
information  on  ambient 
concentrations  of  different  air  pollutants  is  routinely 
made  available  to  the  public.  In  addition,  the  National 
Emission  Ceilings  Directive  provides 
for  emission 
reductions  at  national  level  that  should  be  achieved  for 
main pollutants. 

The  emission  of  several  air  pollutants  has  decreased 
significantly  in  Austria61.  Reductions  between  1990  and 
2014 for sulphur oxides (-78%), as well as volatile organic 
compounds  (-61%)  ensure  air  emissions  for  these 
pollutants  are  within  the  currently  applicable  national 
emission  ceilings62.  Insufficient  reductions  in  emissions 

60 European Commission, 2016. Air Quality Standards 
61 See EIONET Central Data Repository and Air pollutant emissions data 

viewer (NEC Directive) 

62 The current national emission ceilings apply since 2010 (Directive 

matter63  concentrations,  330  to  ozone64  concentration 
and  910  to  nitrogen  dioxide65  concentrations.66  This  is 

2001/81/EC); revised ceilings for 2020 and 2030 have been set by 
Directive (EU) 2016/2284 on the reduction of national emissions of 
certain atmospheric pollutants, amending Directive 2003/35/EC and 
repealing Directive 2001/81/EC. 

63 Particulate matter (PM) is a mixture of aerosol particles (solid and 
liquid) covering a wide range of sizes and chemical compositions. 
PM10 (PM2.5) refers to particles with a diameter of 10 (2.5) 
micrometres or less. PM is emitted from many human sources, 
including both combustion and non-combustion sources. 

64 Low level ozone is produced by photochemical action on pollution 

and it is also a greenhouse gas. 

65 NOx is emitted during fuel combustion e.g. from industrial facilities 
and the road transport sector. NOx is a group of gases comprising 
nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). 

66 European Environment Agency, 2016. Air Quality in Europe – 2016 
Report. (Table 10.2, please see details in this report as regards the 
underpinning   methodology). 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
                                                                                                 
 
due  also  to  exceedances  above  the  EU  air  quality 
standards such as shown in Figure 967.  

For 2014, exceedances reported include those related to 
limit  value  of  annual  mean  concentration  of  nitrogen 
dioxide (NO2) in seven air quality zones (Oberösterreich, 
Vorarlberg,  Tirol,  Salzburg,  Graz,  Linz,  and  Wien),  and 
related  to 
limit  value  of  daily  concentrations  of 
particulate  matter  (PM10)  in  one  air  quality  zone  (Graz). 
Furthermore, the target values for ozone are not met in 
several air quality zones.68 

The  persistent  breaches  of  air  quality  requirements  (for 
NO2),  which  have  severe  negative  effects  on  health  and 
environment  are  being  followed  up  by  the  European 
Commission  through  infringement  procedures  covering 
all the Member States concerned, including Austria. The 
aim  is  that  adequate  measures  are put  in place  to  bring 
all zones into compliance. 

It  has  been  estimated  that  the  health-related  external 
costs  from  air  pollution  in  Austria  are  above  EUR  5 
billion/year  (income  adjusted,  2010),  which  include  not 
only the intrinsic value of living a full health life but also 
direct costs to the economy. These direct economic costs 

67 Based on European Environment Agency, 2016 Air Quality in Europe – 

2016 Report. (Figures 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1) 

68 See The EEA/Eionet Air Quality Portal and the related Central Data 

Repository 

Austria  15 

relate to almost 2 million workdays lost each year due to 
sickness related to air pollution, with associated costs for 
employers  of  EUR  249  million/year  (income  adjusted, 
2010),  for  healthcare  of  above  EUR  24  million/year 
(income adjusted, 2010), and for agriculture (crop losses) 
of EUR 82 million/year (2010)69. 

Suggested action 

  Maintain  downward  emissions  trends  of  air  pollutants 
in  order  to  achieve  full  compliance  with  currently 
applicable  national  emission  ceilings  and  air  quality 
limit values - and reduce adverse air pollution impacts 
on health, environment and economy. 

  Reduce  ammonia  (NH3)  emissions  to  comply  with 
currently  applicable  national  emission  ceilings,  for 
example  by  introducing  or  expanding  the  use  of  low-
emission agricultural techniques. 

  Reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions to comply with 
currently  applicable  national  emission  ceilings70 
and/or  to  reduce  nitrogen  dioxide  (NO2)  (and  ozone 
inter  alia,  by  reducing  transport 
concentrations), 
related emissions - in particular in urban areas. 

  Reduce  PM10  emission  and  concentration,  inter  alia, 
by  reducing  emissions  related  to  energy  and  heat 
generation  using  solid  fuels,  to  transport  and  to 
agriculture. 

Noise 

The  Environmental  Noise  Directive  provides  for  a 
common  approach  for  the  avoidance,  prevention  and 
reduction  of  harmful  effects  due  to  exposure  to 
environmental noise. 

Excessive  noise  is  one  of  the  main  causes  of  health 
issues71.  To  alleviate  this,  the EU  acquis  sets  out  several 
requirements, 
including  assessing  the  exposure  to 
environmental  noise  through  noise  mapping,  ensuring 
that information on environmental noise and its effects is 
made  available  to  the  public,  and  adopting  action  plans 
with  a  view  to  preventing  and  reducing  environmental 
noise  where  necessary  and  to  preserving  the  acoustic 
environment quality where it is good. 

Austrian  authorities  have  fulfilled  all  their  obligations 
with  regards  to  the  Environmental  Noise  Directive72  for 

69 These figures are based on the Impact Assessment for the European 

Commission Integrated Clean Air Package (2013). 

70 Under the provisions of the revised National Emission Ceilings 

Directive Member States now may apply for emission inventory 
adjustments. Pending evaluation of any adjustment application, 
Member States should keep emissions under close control with a 
view to further reductions. 

71 WHO/JRC, 2011, Burden of disease from environmental noise, 

Fritschi, L., Brown, A.L., Kim, R., Schwela, D., Kephalopoulos, S. (eds), 
World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, 
Denmark  

72 The Noise Directive requires Member States to prepare and publish, 
every 5 years, noise maps and noise management action plans for 
agglomerations with more than 100,000 inhabitants, and for major 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
                                                            
the current reporting period. 

Water quality and management 

(including  surface  and  ground  waters) 

The  EU  water  policy  and  legislation  require  that  the 
impact  of  pressures  on  transitional,  coastal  and  fresh 
waters 
is 
significantly  reduced  to  achieve,  maintain  or  enhance 
good  status  of  water  bodies,  as  defined  by  the  Water 
Framework Directive; that citizens throughout the Union 
benefit from high standards for safe drinking and bathing 
water;  and  that  the  nutrient  cycle  (nitrogen  and 
phosphorus)  is  managed  in  a  more  sustainable  and 
resource-efficient way. 

SDG  6  encourages  countries  to  ensure  availability  and 
sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. 

The  main  overall  objective  of  EU  water  policy  and 
legislation  is  to  ensure  access  to  good  quality  water  in 
sufficient  quantity  for  all  Europeans.  The  EU  water 
acquis73  seeks  to  ensure  good  status  of  all  water  bodies 
across Europe by addressing pollution sources (from e.g. 
agriculture, urban areas and industrial activities), physical 
and  hydrological modifications to  water  bodies)  and  the 
management of risks of flooding.  

(RBMPs)  are  a 
River  Basin  Management  Plans 
requirement  of  the  Water  Framework  Directive  and  a 
means  of  achieving  the  protection,  improvement  and 
sustainable use of the water environment across Europe. 
This includes surface freshwaters such as lakes and rivers, 
groundwater,  estuaries  and  coastal  waters  up  to  one 
nautical mile. 

Austria  has  not  yet  provided 
Commission from its second generation of RBMPs.  

information  to  the 

In  its  first  generation  of  RBMPs  Austria  reported  the 
status  of  7339  rivers,  62  lakes  and  136  groundwater 
bodies. Only 44% of natural surface water bodies achieve 
a  good  or  high  ecological  status74  and  26%  of  heavily 
modified  or  artificial  water  bodies75  achieve  a  good  or 
high ecological potential. Almost all surface water bodies 
and heavily modified and artificial water bodies and 98% 
of  groundwater76  bodies  achieve  at  least  good  chemical 

roads, railways and airports.  

73 This includes the Bathing Waters Directive (2006/7/EC); the Urban 

Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) concerning 
discharges of municipal and some industrial waste waters; the 
Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) concerning potable water 
quality; the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) concerning 
water resources management; the Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC) 
and the Floods Directive (2007/60/EC) 

74 Good ecological status is defined in the Water Framework Directive 

referring to the quality of the biological community, the hydrological 
characteristics and the chemical characteristics. 

75 Many European river basins and waters have been altered by human 
activities, such as land drainage, dredging, flood protection, water 
abstraction and inter-basin water transfer, building of dams to create 
reservoirs and the digging of new canals for navigation purposes. 
76 For groundwater, a precautionary approach has been taken that 

Austria  16 

status77.  98%78  of  groundwater  bodies  are  in  good 
quantitative status79. 

The  main  pressure  on  Austrian  waters  comes  from  flow 
regulation  and  morphological  changes  –  56%  of  surface 
water  bodies  are  affected.  The  next  most  important 
pressure  is  diffuse  pollution80  mainly  from  agriculture 
(nutrients and pesticides) but also from industry– 16% of 
water  bodies  are  affected.  Point  sources  such  as  Urban 
industrial 
Treatment  Plants 
Waste  Water 
installations  affect  1%  of  water  bodies.  Hydropower  is 
the  main  pressure  relating  to  water  abstraction.  Water 
in 
abstraction  for 
industrial 
South/East 
abstractions are substantially lower than the significance 
thresholds  established  and  do  not  pose  a  risk  for 
achieving good ecological potential.  

Commercial 

is  only  of 

importance 

irrigation 

Austria. 

and 

and 

Austria  has  capable  water  management  administration 
and  developed  River  Basin  Management  Plans  for  2009 
that  are  largely  in  compliance  with  the  requirements  of 
the  Water Framework  Directive.  However,  the  plans  are 
not fully transparent on several aspects including the link 
between  monitoring  and  status  classification,  design  of 
programmes 
the 
measures 
hydromorphological  pressures  from  hydropower  and 
diffuse  pollution  from  agriculture,  and  application  and 
justification  of  exemptions.  The  measures  planned  are 
expected  to  result  in  only  slight  improvement  of  water 
status. 

addressing 

of 

In  the  context  of  the  Nitrates  Directive,  Austria  has 
decided  to  apply  mandatory  measures  on  its  whole 
territory.  The  2008-2011  Nitrates  Directive  reporting 
showed  an  overall  stable  situation  concerning  nitrate 
concentrations; however eutrophication trends of inland 
waters showed the need for further improvements81. 

As  regards  drinking  water,  Austria  reaches  very  high 
compliance  rates  of  99-100  %  for  microbiological, 
chemical  and  indicator  parameters  laid  down  in  the 
Drinking Water Directive82.  

comprises a prohibition on direct discharges to groundwater, and a 
requirement to monitor groundwater bodies. 

77 Good chemical status is defined in the Water Framework Directive 

referring to compliance with all the quality standards established for 
chemical substances at European level. 

78 According to the AT authorities the quality has improved. 
79 More information on the implementation status and more specific 
recommendations can be found at European Commission, Water 
Framework Directive Implementation Reports 

80 Diffuse pollution comes from widespread activities with no one 
discrete source, e.g. acid rain, pesticides, urban run-off, etc. 
81 Commission Staff working Document accompanying the on the 

implementation of Council Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the 
protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from 
agricultural sources based on Member State reports for the period 
2008-2011, SWD/2013/0405. 

82 Commission's Synthesis Report on the Quality of Drinking Water in 
the Union examining Member States' reports for the 2011-2013 
period, foreseen under Article 13(5) of Directive 98/83/EC; 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
 
 
 
                                                                                                 
                                                                                                 
As  shown  in  Figure  10,  in  2015  in  Austria,  out  of  265 
bathing waters, 90.2 % were of excellent quality, 9.1% of 
good  quality  and 0.4% of  sufficient quality83.  It  is  shown 
that Austria has improved its bathing water quality since 
2012. 
Figure 10: Bathing water quality 2012 – 201584 

Austria demonstrates excellent compliance rates with the 
Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive85. 

Flood  risk  areas  have  already  been 
identified  and 
mapped  in  Austria86.  Austria  is  hit  regularly  by  flooding 
incidents  with  serious  economic  damage  costs87. 
Between  2002  and  2013,  for  the  8  floods  recorded  the 
total  direct  costs  were  EUR 5300 million.  The  average 
cost per flood was EUR 660 million. 

several  projects 

the  2007-2013  EU-funding  period  Austria 
Within 
implemented 
flood 
prevention.  For  the  running  funding  period  (2014-2020) 
the  River  Modelling  Centre  in  Vienna  is  foreseen  to 
receive financial support for its work regarding floods. 

improve 

to 

Suggested action 

  Develop  and  implement  an  effective  Programme  of 
Measures  clearly  focusing  on  the  main  pressures 
(hydromorphology  and  diffuse  pollution)  and  covering 

COM(2016)666 

83 European Environment Agency, 2016. European bathing water quality 

in 2015 p. 26  

84 European Environment Agency, State of bathing water, 2016 
85 European Commission, Eighth Report on the Implementation Status 
and the Programmes for Implementation of the Urban Waste Water 
Directive (COM (2016)105 final) and Commission Staff Working 
Document accompanying the report (SWD(2016)45 final). 

86 Commission Staff Working Document, 2015. Report on the progress 

in implementation of the Floods Directive, page 27 

87 RPA, 2014. Study on Economic and Social Benefits of Environmental 

Protection and Resource Efficiency Related to the European 
Semester, study for the European Commission. 

Austria  17 

fully the implementation gaps in order to improve the 
overall status in the future. 

  Improve  the  transparency  of  the  use  of  exemptions 
including  for  hydropower  permits,  especially  by  using 
criteria provided by the European law. 

Enhancing the sustainability of cities  

The  EU  Policy  on  the  urban  environment  encourages 
implement  policies  for  sustainable  urban 
cities  to 
planning and design, including innovative approaches for 
urban  public 
sustainable 
buildings,  energy  efficiency  and  urban  biodiversity 
conservation.  

transport  and  mobility, 

SDG11  aims  at  making  cities  and  human  settlements 
inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. 

Europe is a Union of cities and towns; around 75% of the 
EU  population  are  living  in  urban  areas.88  The  urban 
environment  poses  particular  challenges 
the 
environment  and  human  health,  whilst  also  providing 
opportunities and efficiency gains in the use of resources.  

for 

The  Member  States,  European  institutions,  cities  and 
stakeholders have prepared a new Urban Agenda for the 
EU  (incorporating  the  Smart  Cities  initiative)  to  tackle 
these  issues  in  a  comprehensive  way,  including  their 
connections with social and economic challenges. At the 
heart  of  this  Urban  Agenda  will  be  the  development  of 
twelve  partnerships  on  the  identified  urban  challenges, 
including air quality and housing89.  

The  European  Commission  will 
benchmark system in 201790. 

launch  a  new  EU 

The  EU  stimulates  green  cities  through  awards  and 
funding,  such  as  the  EU  Green  Capital  Award  aimed  at 
cities  with  more  than  100,000  inhabitants  and  the  EU 
Green  Leaf  initiative  aimed  at  cities  and  towns,  with 
between 20,000 and 100,000 inhabitants. 

From  the  European  Regional  Development  Fund  Austria 
has  allocated  EUR 27.2 million  for  sustainable  urban 
development (Vienna and Upper Austria) to help solving 
use conflicts in cities and urban areas. Measures like CO2 
reduction  strategies,  sustainable  mobility  strategies, 
integrated  sustainable  development  and  efficient  use  of 
resources will be supported. 

88 European Environment Agency, Urban environment 
89 http://urbanagendaforthe.eu/ 
90 The Commission is developing an Urban Benchmarking and 

Monitoring ('UBaM') tool to be launched in 2017. Best practices 
emerge and these will be better disseminated via the app featuring 
the UBaM tool, and increasingly via e.g. EUROCITIES, ICLEI, CEMR, 
Committee of the Regions, Covenant of Mayors and others. 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                                                                 
                                                            
Austria  18 

Protocol91.  It  has  neither signed  nor  ratified the  African-
Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement. 

An EcoBusinessPlan sponsored by the city of Vienna since 
1998  supports  Viennese  companies  in  implementing 
environmental / sustainability - relevant measures in the 
company  and  contributes  to  decreasing  administrative 
costs.  The  EcoBusinessPlan  Vienna  has  achieved  a 
number  of  successes:  817  participating  companies,  with 
more  than  11,000  environmental  projects  from  waste 
prevention  to  energy  saving  measures  to  rearranging 
complete production processes. 

International agreements  

The  EU  Treaties  require  that  the  Union  policy  on  the 
environment  promotes  measures  at  the  international 
level  to  deal  with  regional  or  worldwide  environmental 
problems. 

Most  environmental  problems  have  a  transboundary 
nature  and  often  a  global  scope  and  they  can  only  be 
addressed effectively through international co-operation. 
International  environmental  agreements  concluded  by 
the Union are binding upon the institutions of the Union 
and  on  its Member  States.  This  requires  the  EU  and the 
Member  States  to  sign,  ratify  and  effectively  implement 
all  relevant  multilateral  environmental  agreements 
(MEAs) in a timely manner. This will also be an important 
contribution  towards  the  achievement  of  the  SDGs, 
which Member States committed to in 2015 and include 
many  commitments  contained  already  in  legally  binding 
agreements. 

The  fact  that  some  Member  States  did  not  sign  and/or 
ratify  a  number  of  MEAs  compromises  environmental 
implementation,  including  within  the  Union,  as  well  as 
in  related  negotiations  and 
the  Union’s  credibility 
international  meetings  where 
the 
participation of third countries to such agreements is an 
established  EU  policy  objective.  In  agreements  where 
voting takes place it has a direct impact on the number of 
votes to be cast by the EU.  

supporting 

Currently,  Austria  has  signed  but  not  yet  ratified  the 
Gothenburg 
Acidification, 
to 
Eutrophication  and  Ground-level  Ozone  and  the  Nagoya 

Protocol 

Abate 

91 Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable 

Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on 
Biological Diversity. 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
Part II: Enabling Framework: Implementation Tools 

4. Market based instruments and investment 

Austria  19 

Green  taxation  and  environmentally  harmful 
subsidies 

The Circular Economy Action Plan encourages the use of 
financial  incentives  and  economic  instruments,  such  as 
taxation  to  ensure  that  product  prices  better  reflect 
environmental costs. The phasing out of environmentally 
harmful  subsidies  is  monitored  in  the  context  of  the 
European  Semester  and  in  national  reform  programmes 
submitted by Member States. 

Taxing pollution and resource use can generate increased 
revenue  and  bring  important  social  and  environmental 
benefits. 

Latest  data  show  that  environmental  tax  revenue 
amounted  to  2.43%  of  Austria's  GDP  in  2014  (EU28 
average: 2.46%), having been relatively stable since 2004 
(2.37%)92. 

In the same year environmental tax revenues accounted 
for 5.63% of total revenues from taxes and social-security 
contributions93 (EU28 average: 6.35%) as shown in Figure 
11. 

The  Austrian  austerity  package  of  2011  included  the 
introduction of a flight levy (short distance EUR 8, middle 
distance  EUR 20,  long  distance  EUR 35),  an  increase  in 
the mineral oil tax on diesel (of EUR 0.05/litre) and petrol 
(of  EUR 0.04/litre)  and  an  adjustment  of  the  car 
registration tax: on the one hand, the carbon element of 
the tax was increased; on the other hand, the permissible 
limits for toxic emissions were reduced. 

In 
tax 
the  Stability  Act  of  2012,  mineral  oil 
reimbursement  for  agriculture  and  public  transport  was 
abolished  (generating  revenues  of  about  EUR 0.07-0.08 
billion).  The  flight  levy  introduced  in  2011  was  reduced 
for  competitive  reasons  (short  distance  EUR 7,  middle 
distance  EUR 15,  long  distance  EUR 35),  and  commuting 
allowances  were  raised  (leading  to  additional  budget 
losses of about EUR 0.15 billion). 

A  2016  study  shows  for  Austria  there  is  considerable 
potential for shifting taxes from labour to environmental 
taxes94.  Under  a  good  practise  scenario95,  these  taxes 

92 Eurostat, Environmental tax revenues, accessed June 2016 
93 excluding imputed social contributions 
94 Eunomia Research and Consulting, IEEP, Aarhus University, ENT, 

2016. Study on Assessing the Environmental Fiscal Reform Potential 
for the EU28. N.B. National governments are responsible for setting 
tax rates within the EU Single Market rules and this report is not 
suggesting concrete changes as to the level of environmental 
taxation. It merely presents the findings of the 2016 study by 

could  generate  an  additional  EUR 1545 million  in  2018, 
rising  to  EUR 3032 million  in  2030  (both  in  real  2015 
terms).  This  is  equivalent  to  an  additional  0.44%  and 
0.73% of GDP in 2018 and 2030, respectively96. 

Figure  10:  Environmental  tax  revenues  as  a  share  of 
total  revenues  from  taxes  and  social  contributions  
(excluding imputed social contributions) in 201497 

The  largest  potential  source of  revenue  comes  from  the 
proposed  amendments  to  taxes  on  transport  fuels.  This 
accounts for EUR 1090 million in 2030 (real 2015 terms), 

Eunomia et al on the potential benefits various environmental taxes 
could bring. It is then for the national authorities to assess this study 
and their concrete impacts in the national context. A first step in this 
respect, already done by a number of Member States, is to set up 
expert groups to assess these and make specific proposals. 
95 The good practice scenario means benchmarking to a successful 

taxation practice in another Member State. 

96Eunomia Research and Consulting, IIEP, Aarhus University, ENT, 2016. 
Study on Assessing the Environmental Fiscal Reform Potential for the 
EU28 

97 Eurostat, Environmental tax revenues, accessed October 2016 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
 
                                                                                                 
Austria  20 

equivalent to 0.26% of GDP. 

In  Austria  appears  to  have, according to  a  Commission's 
assessment98 a potential need to reduce a relatively high 
tax burden on labour and potential scope to increase the 
least  distortive  taxes  like  environmental  taxes.  Potential 
scope  to  increase  environmental  taxes  might  exist  since 
the implicit tax rate on energy is relatively low (183.3 EUR 
per  tonnes  of  oil  equivalent,  TOE)  compared  to  the  EU 
average  (222.8  EUR/TOE).  The  OECD99  recommends  as 
well  financing  a  reduction  of  labour  tax  wedge  by 
broadening  the  tax  base  and  increases  in  consumption, 
environmental and recurrent property taxes. 

In 2015, Austria enacted a comprehensive reform of the 
country's  tax  system  mainly  to  reduce  tax  wedge  on 
labour. But it did not use the opportunity to overhaul its 
environmental  taxes  in  order  to  achieve  environmental 
objectives.  The  only  environment  related  measure  was 
the increase of the taxable income from the private use 
of company cars from 1.5% to 2% of the total acquisition 
cost  of  the  car,  and  the  right  to  deduct  tax  for  CO2 
emission free cars was introduced. 

No  measures  were  taken  to  reduce  environmental 
harmful  subsidies.  The  different  tax  treatment  of  diesel 
and  gasoline100  for  road  use  is  from  the  environmental 
point  of  view  unjustified.  Diesel  is  taxed  at  a  lower  rate 
(both in terms of carbon and energy content), although it 
emits more air pollutants. 
In  addition,  recent  data101  show that  Austria  confers  tax 
advantages  on  company  cars  that  could  stimulate  the 
excessive  use  of  fossil  fuels  and  undermine  the  EU 
energy,  climate  and  environmental  policies.  This 
preferential  tax  treatment  for  company  cars  leads  to 
estimated revenue losses of EUR 558 million. 

Green Public Procurement  

The  EU  green  public  procurement  policies  encourage 
Member States to take further steps to reach the target 
of applying green procurement criteria to at least 50% of 
public tenders. 

Green  Public  Procurement  (GPP)  is  a  process  whereby 
public  authorities  seek  to  procure  goods,  services  and 
works  with  a  reduced  environmental  impact  throughout 
their  life-cycle  when  compared  to  goods,  services  and 
works  with  the  same  primary  function  that  would 
otherwise be procured.  

98 European Commission, 2015. Tax Reforms in EU Member States 2015, 

Institutional Paper 008 Sept. 2015, page 68 

100 Update by European Commission, 2015 based on Harding M., 2014. 
The Diesel Differential: Differences in the Tax Treatment of Gasoline 
and Diesel for Road Use. OECD Taxation Working Papers, No. 21 
101 Harding M. 2014. Personal Tax Treatment of Company Cars and 
Commuting Expenses – Estimating the Fiscal and Environmental 
Costs. OECD Taxation Working Papers, No. 20, p.28 

this  money 

The  purchasing  power  of  public  procurement  in  the  EU 
equals to approximately 14% of GDP102. A substantial part 
of 
is  spent  on  sectors  with  high 
environmental impact such as construction or transport, 
so  GPP  can  help  to  significantly  lower  the  impact  of 
public  spending  and 
innovative 
businesses.  The  Commission  has  proposed  EU  GPP 
criteria103. 

foster  sustainable 

In  Austria,  a  national  action  plan  (NAP)  for  GPP,  named 
Aktionsplan  nachhaltige  öffentliche  Beschaffung104,  was 
adopted  by  the  Council  of  Ministers  in  July  2010.  It 
determines  that  the  Federal  Procurement  Agency,  per 
instruction  of  the  Ministry  of  Finance,  must  include  the 
national  green  public  procurement  requirements  for  14 
products  (textiles  products  and  leasing,  transport  IT 
equipment,  cleaning  products  and  services,  furniture, 
food  and  catering  services,  indoor  lighting,  energy-using 
appliances, 
construction,  electricity, 
gardening  products  and  services,  office  supplies,  paper, 
event  management) 
for  which  GPP  criteria  were 
established105. 

infrastructure, 

In  addition,  the  provincial  governments  of  Austria  have 
passed a resolution in 2016 in relation to the GPP criteria 
of  national  action  plan  as  the  basis  of  minimum 
for  all  municipalities  and  provinces 
requirements 
(recommendation).  In  the  provinces  of  Vorarlberg,  Tyrol 
and  Lower  Austria  local  public  procurers  are  provided 
with  a  particular  procurement  service  to  bundle 
procurements  and  foster  sustainability  (Nachhaltiges 
Beschaffungsservice). 

To  exchange  experience  of  procurement  officers  with 
levels  (federal, 
GPP  on  the  different  governmental 
regional  and  local  level)  a  specific  platform  including  a 
help-desk106 has been established. 

A 2011-study states that the share of Austrian authorities 
that  included  GPP  requirements  in  between  50%  and 
100%  of  their  contracts  was  estimated  between  10  and 
20%107. 

According to a 2012-survey, Austrian authorities included 
at  least  one  of  the  EU  core  green  criteria  in  73%  of  the 
contracts  and  38%  of  the  contracts  included  all  the 

102 European Commission, 2015. Public procurement 
103 In the Communication “Public procurement for a better 

environment” (COM /2008/400) the Commission recommended the 
creation of a process for setting common GPP criteria. The basic 
concept of GPP relies on having clear, verifiable, justifiable and 
ambitious environmental criteria for products and services, based on 
a life-cycle approach and scientific evidence base. 

104 Bundesregierung Österreich, 2010. Aktionsplan zur nachhaltigen 

öffentlichen Beschaffung.  

105 Aktionsplan zur nachhaltigen öffentlichen Beschaffung, Criteria for 

different products 

106 National help desk green public procurement 
107 Adelphi et al. (2011), “Strategic Use of Public Procurement in 

Europe” 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
                                                            
 
                                                            
relevant EU core green criteria108. 

Investments: the contribution of EU funds  

European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds  Regulations 
provide  that  Member  States  promote  environment  and 
funding  strategies  and 
climate  objectives 
programmes 
territorial 
cohesion,  rural  development  and  maritime  policy,  and 
reinforce the capacity of implementing bodies to deliver 
cost-effective and sustainable investments in these areas. 

in  their 
for  economic, 

social  and 

Austria  21 

2020, as the relevant operational programmes are still in 
an early stage of their implementation.  

Figure  12  depicts  the  2014-2020  EU  Structural  and 
Investment Funds budget allocation for Austria. 

Figure  12:  European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds 
2014-2020: Budget Austria by theme, EUR billion112 

Making  good  use  of  the  European  Structural  and 
Investment  Funds  (ESIF)109  is  essential  to  achieve  the 
environmental goals and integrate these into other policy 
areas.  Other  instruments  such  as  the  Horizon  2020,  the 
LIFE  programme  and  European  Fund  for  Strategic 
Investment110  (EFSI)  may  also  support  implementation 
and spread off best practice. 

Austria benefits, through three national programmes and 
a  common 
from  European 
Investment  Funds  (ESIF)  funding  of 
Structural  and 
EUR 4.9 billion over the period 2014-2020111. 

regional  programme, 

the  European  Agricultural  Fund 

EUR 536.3 m (10.9%) is coming from the European Fund 
for Regional Development (ERDF), EUR 3938.0 m (80.0%) 
for  Rural 
from 
Development  (EAFRD),  EUR 7.0  m  (0.1%)  from  the 
European  Maritime  and  Fisheries  Fund  (EMFF)  and 
EUR 442.1 m (9.0%) from the European Social Fund (ESF). 

In  total,  EUR 1297.7 m  are  dedicated  to  the  Thematic 
objective  (TO)  6  Environment  Protection  and  Resource 
efficiency, EUR 1290.7 m through the EAFRD programme, 
EUR 7.0 m  through  the  ERDF  programmes.  In  addition, 
EUR 206.5 m  is  foreseen  for  TO4  Low  Carbon  Economy 
(EAFRD  and  ERDF)  and  EUR 1289.8 m  for  TO5  Climate 
Change Adoption and Risk Prevention (EAFRD only). 

This  funding  includes  support  for  sustainable  urban 
development  (Vienna  and  Upper  Austria)  and  aims  at 
solving use conflicts in cities and urban areas. Measures 
like  CO2  reduction  strategies,  sustainable  mobility 
integrated  sustainable  development  and 
strategies, 
efficient use of resources will be supported. In Vienna the 
Responsible River Modelling Centre (research in the area 
of  energy,  flood  protection  and  ecology)  will  be  funded. 
Theses allocations amount to EUR 27.2 million  

It is too early to draw meaningful conclusions as regards 
the  use  and  results  of  ESIF  funds  for  the  period  2014-

108 CEPS (2012), “Monitoring the Uptake of GPP in the EU” 
109 ESIF comprises five funds – the European Regional Development 
Funds (ERDF), the Cohesion Fund (CF), the European Social Fund 
(ESF), the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development 
(EAFRD), and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). The 
ERDF, the CF and the ESF together form the Cohesion Policy funds. 

110 EIB: European Fund for Strategic Investments 
111 European Commission: European Structural and Investment Funds 

With regard to the integration of environmental concerns 
into the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the two key 
areas  for  Austria  (as  for  all  Member  States)  are,  first, 
using Rural Development funds to pay for environmental 
land  management  and  other  environmental  measures, 
while  avoiding  financing  measures  which  could  damage 
the  environment;  and  secondly,  ensuring  an  effective 
implementation of the first pillar of the CAP with regard 
to cross compliance and 1st pillar 'greening'.  

The  approved  National  Rural  Development  Programme 
(NRP)  amounts  overall  to  EUR 3938.0 m.  The  planned 
spending  on  the  ecosystem  priority,  priority  4 
is 
EUR 2490.9 m,  which  represents  63.3%  of  the  total  EU 
budget.  EUR 1065.1 m,  27 % 
is  dedicated  to  agri-
environment-climate  measures.  In  addition,  EUR  400.7 
m,  that  is  10.2  %,  is  dedicated  to  organic  farming 
measures alone, which is also is part of the Austrian agri-
environmental-programme.  Furthermore,  EUR  874.4 m, 
from  the  total  NRP  budget,  is  dedicated  to  payments  to 
areas  facing  natural  or  other  specific  constraints.  Thus, 
the NRP allocates a very large part of the total budget to 

112 European Commission, European Structural and Investment Funds 

Country Data for Austria. 

Data By Country 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
                                                            
 
                                                            
Austria  22 

is  welcomed 

resources  and 
that 

the 
the  enhancement  of  natural 
environment.  Although 
the 
it 
programme  foresees  that  up  to  about  80%  of  the 
agricultural  area  of  the  country  will  benefit  from  agro-
environment  measures,  Austria  has  elaborated  and 
implemented  further  actions  to  improve  the  design  and 
effectiveness  of  the  environmental  measures  in  practice 
(including  more  attention  to  training,  advice  and 
cooperation).  Austria  should  continue  this  approach 
aimed  at  creating  the  best  environmental  value  for 
money in the implementation stage of the NRP. 

The  Direct  Payment  envelope  of  Austria  for  the  period 
2015-2020 is EUR 3.46 bn, 30 % of which (1.04 bn) being 
allocated  to  greening  practices  beneficial 
for  the 
environment. 
ambitious 
implementation  of 1st  pillar greening  would  clearly help 
to  improve  the  environmental  situation  in  areas  not 
covered  by  rural  development,  including  intensive  area, 
and 
its 
implementation of this. 

appropriate  Austria 

environmentally 

review 

could 

An 

if 

The  European  Fund  for  Strategic  Investments  (EFSI)  will 
help  financially  to  construct  and  operate  three  wind 
farms113 in Austria.  

113 European Commission, June 2016.The Investment Plan for Europe, 

Factsheet Energy  

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
                                                            
5. Effective governance and knowledge 

Austria  23 

SDG  16  aims  at  providing  access  to  justice  and  building 
effective,  accountable  and  inclusive  institutions  at  all 
levels. SDG 17 aims at better implementation, improving 
policy  coordination  and  policy  coherence,  stimulating 
science, 
innovation,  establishing 
partnerships and developing measurements of progress. 

technology 

and 

Effective governance of EU environmental legislation and 
policies  requires  having  an  appropriate 
institutional 
framework,  policy  coherence  and  coordination,  applying 
legal  and  non-legal  instruments,  engaging  with  non-
governmental  stakeholders,  and  having  adequate  levels 
of  knowledge  and  skills114.  Successful  implementation 
depends, to a large extent, on central, regional and local 
government  fulfilling  key  legislative  and  administrative 
tasks,  notably  adoption  of 
implementing 
legislation,  co-ordinated  action  to  meet  environmental 
objectives  and  correct  decision-making  on  matters  such 
as  industrial  permits.  Beyond  fulfilment  of  these  tasks, 
government  must 
to  ensure  day-to-day 
compliance  by  economic  operators,  utilities  and 
individuals  ("compliance  assurance").  Civil  society  also 
has  a  role  to  play,  including  through  legal  action.  To 
underpin the roles of all actors, it is crucial to collect and 
share  knowledge  and  evidence  on  the  state  of  the 
environment  and  on  environmental  pressures,  drivers 
and impacts. 

intervene 

sound 

Equally,  effective  governance  of  EU  environmental 
legislation  and  policies  benefits  from  a  dialogue  within 
Member  States  and  between  Member  States  and  the 
Commission  on  whether  the  current  EU  environmental 
legislation  is  fit  for  purpose.  Legislation  can  only  be 
properly 
into  account 
experiences  at  Member  State  level  with  putting  EU 
commitments  into  effect.  The  Make  it  Work  initiative,  a 
Member  State  driven  project,  established 
in  2014, 
organizes a discussion on how the clarity, coherence and 
structure  of  EU  environmental 
legislation  can  be 
improved without lowering existing protection standards. 

implemented  when 

it  takes 

Effective  governance  within  central,  regional 
and local government 

Those  involved  in  implementing  environment  legislation 
at  Union,  national,  regional  and  local  levels  need  to  be 
equipped  with  the  knowledge,  tools  and  capacity  to 
improve  the  delivery  of  benefits  from  that  legislation, 
and the governance of the enforcement process. 

is 

Capacity to implement rules 
It 
local 
federal, 
administrations  have  the  necessary  capacities  and  skills 
and training to carry out their own tasks and co-operate 

regional  and 

crucial 

that 

and  co-ordinate  effectively  with  each  other,  within  a 
system of multi-level governance. 

The  2013  European  Quality  of  Government  Index  puts 
Austria in 6th place out of the 28 Member States115. 

(with  relatively 

Compliance  performance  in  the  field  of  environment  is 
low  number  of  cases  and 
good 
complaints)  and  corresponds  to  the  overall  very  good 
state  of  environment  (see  above).  Challenges  remain  in 
the field of nature, water and governance.  

As to nature there are still some deficiencies concerning 
establishing the Natura 2000 network and designation of 
SPAs  and  bird  hunting  practices  in  some  Länder  raise 
concerns  in  terms  of  compatibility  with  the  Habitats 
Directive.  Infrastructure  projects  put  pressure  on  both 
nature protection and water: there are a number of cases 
and  complaints  regarding  hydropower  development 
rising  non-compliance  with  either  the  Habitats  or  Water 
Framework  Directive.  Apart 
IPPC 
procedures  access to  justice  provisions  are  still  deficient 
in  Austria,  which  has  recently  been  confirmed  by  the 
Court of Justice in relation to screening of EIA which was 
remedied by an amendment to the EIA Act in early 2016. 
Two  more  infringement  cases  are  ongoing  in  this  area. 
The situation on air pollution has generally improved and 
the  case  on  PM10  pollution  has  been  closed.  Yet  NO2 
pollution represents a challenge in cities due to emissions 
of  diesel  cars  and  an  infringement  procedure  is  likely  to 
follow soon.  

from  EIA  and 

In some of the environmental cases where individuals or 
NGOs have gained access before the national courts over 
the  past  years,  the  Austrian  judges  referred  several 
requests for preliminary rulings to the Court of Justice of 
the  EU.  This  represented  a  valuable  contribution  to  the 
development  of  EU  environment  law,  since  preliminary 
rulings  enable  the  Court  of  Justice  to  give  a  coherent 
interpretation of the EU law. 

Two  working  groups  at  expert 

level  have  been 

114 The Commission has work ongoing to improve the country-specific 
knowledge about quality and functioning of the administrative 
systems of Member States. 

115http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/work/2012_0

2_governance.pdf 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
 
                                                            
                                                            
established  in  order  to  discuss  legal  possibilities  for 
improvement. 

2002, 

Austrian 

Strategy 

Coordination and integration 
Sustainable 
the 
In 
Development116  was  adopted  as  a  government  level 
concept that sets the points for a policy of sustainability 
at  national  level  based  on  a  long-term  orientation  and 
defined  binding  framework  conditions.  This  national 
strategy  was, 
in  2010,  complemented  by  common 
approach  by  the  Federal  and  Länder  government,  the 
Österreichische  Strategie  Nachhaltige  Entwicklung" 
(ÖSTRAT117).  It  provides  a  common  framework  for  the 
different  political  levels  and  names  the  main  topics  for 
actions  (e.g.  preserving  the  natural  environment,  high 
level 
globalisation 
environmentally  and  socially  sustainable).  Different 
in  charge  of 
committees  and  working  groups  are 
coordinating  the  different 
informing  the 
initiatives, 
public, and the further development of the strategy.  

security, 

shaping 

social 

of 

Austria  24 

including 
involve  using  various  kinds  of  checks, 
inspections  for  permitted  activities,  surveillance  for 
possible  illegal  activities,  investigations  for  crimes  and 
audits for systemic weaknesses. Similarly, there is a range 
of  means  to  promote  compliance,  including  awareness-
raising  campaigns  and  use  of  guidance  documents  and 
online  information  tools.  Follow-up  to  breaches  and 
liabilities  can 
(e.g. 
withdrawal of a permit), use of criminal law120 and action 
law  (e.g.  required  remediation  after 
under 
damage  from  an  accident  using 
liability  rules)  and 
contractual  law  (e.g.  measures  to  require  compliance 
with  nature  conservation  contracts).  Taken  together,  all 
of these interventions represent "compliance assurance" 
as shown in Figure 13.  

include  administrative  action 

liability 

Figure 13: Environmental compliance assurance 

to  avoid  overlaps 

important  tools  to  ensure 
Impact  assessments  are 
environmental  integration  in  all  government  policies118. 
The  Commission  encourages  the  streamlining  of  the 
environmental  assessments 
in 
environmental  assessments  and  accelerate  decision-
making,  without  compromising  the  quality  of  the 
environmental  assessment  procedure.  The  Commission 
has issued a guidance document in 2016119 regarding the 
setting  up  of  coordinated  and/or  joint  procedures  that 
are simultaneously subject to assessments under the EIA 
Directive, Habitats Directive, Water Framework Directive, 
and the Industrial Emissions Directive. 

Compliance assurance 

EU  law  generally  and  specific  provisions  on  inspections, 
other  checks,  penalties  and  environmental  liability  help 
lay  the  basis  for  the  systems  Member  States  need  to 
have 
secure  compliance  with  EU 
to 
environmental rules. 

in  place 

Public  authorities  help  ensure  accountability  of  duty-
holders by monitoring and promoting compliance and by 
taking credible follow-up action (i.e. enforcement) when 
breaches occur or liabilities arise. Compliance monitoring 
can  be  done  both  on  the 
initiative  of  authorities 
themselves  and  in  response to  citizen complaints. It  can 

116https://www.nachhaltigkeit.at/assets/customer/Downloads/Strategi

e/strategie020709_en.pdf 
117Information on the ÖSTRAT 
118 Article 11 of the TFEU provides that "Environmental protection 

requirements must be integrated into the definition and 
implementation of the Union's policies and activities, in particular 
with a view to promoting sustainable development." 

119 European Commission, 2016. Commission notice — Commission 
guidance document on streamlining environmental assessments 
conducted under Article 2(3) of the Environmental Impact 
Assessment Directive (Directive 2011/92/EU of the European 
Parliament and of the Council, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU). 

Best  practice  has  moved  towards  a  risk-based  approach 
at strategic and operational levels in which the best mix 
of compliance monitoring, promotion and enforcement is 
directed at the most serious problems. Best practice also 
recognises  the  need  for  coordination  and  cooperation 
between  different  authorities  to  ensure  consistency, 
avoid  duplication  of  work  and  reduce  administrative 
burden. Active participation in established pan-European 
networks  of  inspectors,  police,  prosecutors  and  judges, 
such as IMPEL121, EUFJE122, ENPE123 and EnviCrimeNet124, 
is  a  valuable  tool  for  sharing  experience  and  good 
practices. 

Currently, there exist a number of sectoral obligations on 
inspections  and  the  EU  directive  on  environmental 
liability  (ELD)  125  provides  a  means  of  ensuring  that  the 
"polluter-pays  principle" 
is  applied  when  there  are 
accidents  and  incidents  that  harm  the  environment. 
information  giving 
There 

is  also  publically  available 

120 European Union, Environmental Crime Directive 2008/99/EC 
121 European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement 

of Environmental Law  

122 European Union Forum of judges for the environment 
123 The European Network of Prosecutors for the Environment  
124 EnviCrimeNet 
125 European Union, Environmental Liability Directive 2004/35/CE, p.56 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
insights  into  existing  strengths  and  weaknesses  in  each 
Member State.  

For  each  Member  State,  the  following  were  therefore 
reviewed:  use  of  risk-based  compliance  assurance; 
coordination  and  co-operation  between  authorities  and 
participation in pan-European networks; and key aspects 
of implementation of the ELD based on the Commission's 
recently  published  implementation  report  and  REFIT 
evaluation.126  

Austria  has  made  efforts  to  improve  its  system  of 
inspections  of  industrial  facilities.  The  Austrian  Federal 
Ministry  for  Agriculture,  Forestry,  Environment  and 
Water Management has developed a national inspection 
plan which includes some priority setting elements and in 
its  annex  a  comprehensive  set  of  criteria  for  risk-
assessment  based  on  the 
inspections 
planning  tool127.  It  is  the  basis  for  inspection  programs 
developed at the Länder level128. 

IMPEL 

IRAM 

Up-to-date information is lacking and would be valuable 
in relation to the following: 

 

  data-collection  arrangements  to  track  the  use  and 
effectiveness  of  different  compliance  assurance 
interventions129; 
the extent to which risk-based methods are used to 
direct  compliance  assurance  at  the  strategic  level 
and 
in  relation  to  critical  activities  outside  of 
industrial  installations,  especially  specific  problem-
areas  highlighted  elsewhere  in  this  Country  Report, 
i.e.  the  threats  to  protected  habitat  types  and 
species, poor air quality and the pressures on water 
quality from diffuse sources of pollution;  

  how  competent  authorities 

in  Austria  ensure 
coordination  and  coordination  of  compliance 
assurance at the different administrative levels130; 
  how  competent  authorities  in  Austria  ensure  a 
targeted  and  proportionate  response  to  different 
types  of  non-compliant  behaviour,  in  particular  in 
relation to serious breaches detected.  

Austria  participates  in  IMPEL  activities  but  is  not  very 

126 COM(2016)204 final and COM(2016)121 final of 14.4.2016. This 

highlighted the need for better evidence on how the directive is used 
in practice; for tools to support its implementation, such as guidance, 
training and ELD registers; and for financial security to be available in 
case events or incidents generate remediation costs. 
127 The plan is published on the website of the ministry:  
128 These inspection programs are also published online:  
129 OECD has observed that information on inspections, compliance 
levels, fines, effectiveness and costs of enforcement is incomplete 
and fragmented, see OECD Environmental Performance Review 
Austria 2013, p. 59. See also Comparative study of pressures and 
measures in the major River Basin Management Plans, section 
Governance, 2012, p. 130, 133 and 159.  

130 OECD provides examples of some cooperation agreements in Austria 

but indicates also the need for more extensive use of such 
instruments, see OECD Environmental Performance Review Austria 
2013, p. 58.  

Austria  25 

the  other  European  networks  of 

active  within 
environmental professionals.  
For the period 2007-2013, Austria did not report any case 
of  environmental  damage  remediation  pursuant  to  the 
Environmental  Liability  Directive,  although  a  few  cases 
where  the  application  has  been  considered  but  was 
finally dismissed in court proceedings or otherwise have 
been  drawn  to  the  Commission's  attention.  There  is  no 
mandatory  financial  security  (to  pay  for  remediation 
where  an  operator  cannot).  The 
insurance  sector 
provides coverage for environmental impairment liability 
(EIL),  supplementing  the  general  third  party  liability 
insurance  (GTPL),  a  standard  product  used  by  all  bigger 
enterprises.  However,  it  is  not  evident  that  EIL  is  taken 
up.  

Suggested action 

  Improve 

transparency  on 

the  organisation  and 
functioning  of  compliance  assurance  and  on  how 
significant risks are addressed, as outlined above. 

  Encourage 

greater  participation  of 

competent 

authorities in environmental compliance networks.  

in  the 

  Step  up  efforts 

implementation  of  the 
Environmental  Liability  Directive  (ELD)  with  proactive 
initiatives, in particular by setting up a national register 
of ELD incidents and drafting national guidance. 

Public participation and access to justice  

The  Aarhus  Convention,  related  EU  legislation  on  public 
participation and environmental impact assessment, and 
the case-law of the Court of Justice require that citizens 
and  their  associations  should  be  able  to  participate  in 
decision-making  on  projects  and  plans  and  should  enjoy 
effective environmental access to justice. 

Citizens  can  more  effectively  protect  the  environment  if 
they can rely on the three "pillars" of the Convention on 
Access  to  Information,  Public  Participation  in  Decision-
making  and  Access  to  Justice  in  Environmental  Matters 
("the  Aarhus  Convention").  Public  participation  in  the 
administrative  decision  making  process  is  an  important 
element to ensure that the authority takes its decision on 
the best possible basis. 

Access  to  justice  in  environmental  matters  is  a  set  of 
guarantees  that  allows  citizens  and  their  associations  to 
challenge  acts  or  omissions  of  the  public  administration 
before  a  court. 
for  decentralised 
It 
implementation of EU environmental law. 

is  a 

tool 

For  each  Member  State,  two  crucial  elements  for 
effective  access  to  justice  have  been  systematically 
reviewed:  the  legal  standing  for  the  public,  including 
NGOs and the extent to which prohibitive costs represent 
a barrier. 

In  general,  the  existing  rules  and  provisions  in  the 
Austrian  law  concerning  access  to  administrative  appeal 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria 

 
 
                                                            
Austria  26 

accessibility  of 
State, 
For  each  Member 
environmental data (based on what the INSPIRE Directive 
envisages)  as  well  as  data-sharing  policies  ('open  data') 
have been systematically reviewed136.  

the 

Austria's  performance  on  the  implementation  of  the 
INSPIRE  Directive  as  enabling  framework  to  actively 
disseminate  environmental  information  to  the  public  is 
good.  Austria  has  indicated  in  the  3-yearly  INSPIRE 
implementation report137 that the necessary data-sharing 
policies  allowing  access  and  use  of  spatial  data  by 
national 
States' 
administrations,  other  Member 
administrations  and  EU  institutions  without  procedural 
obstacles are available and implemented. Austria has no 
common data-sharing policies for all administrative levels 
in  the  federated  state,  resulting  in  a  differentiated 
landscape of terms for access and use ranging from open 
data  policies  to  policies  aiming  at  recovering  data 
acquisition and management costs.  
Following  the  assessments  of  monitoring  reports138 
issued by Austria and the spatial information that Austria 
has published on the INSPIRE geoportal139 not all spatial 
information 
and 
for 
implementation of EU environmental law has been made 
available or is  accessible. However, at least the majority 
of  the  data  required  to  be  made  available  under  the 
existing  reporting  and  monitoring  regulations  of  EU 
environmental  law  has  been  published  on  the  INSPIRE 
geoportal. 

evaluation 

needed 

the 

Suggested action 

  Critically  review  the  effectiveness  of  its  data  policies 
into 
taking 

'best  practices' 

them, 

and  amend 
consideration. 

  Identify and document all spatial data sets required for 
the  implementation  of  environmental  law,  and  make 
the  data  and  documentation  at  least  accessible  'as  is' 
to  other  public  authorities  and  the  public  through  the 
digital services foreseen in the INSPIRE Directive. 

and  to  judicial  review  are  predictable  and  transparent. 
However,  environmental  NGOs  still  do  not  have  legal 
standing in many of the environmental sectors. The costs 
of  administrative  court  procedure,  however,  are  not 
considered as being prohibitively high131. 

Suggested action 

  Take  the  necessary  measures  to  ensure  standing  of 
environmental NGOs to challenge acts or omissions of 
a public authority in all sectoral EU environmental laws, 
law  as  well  as  the 
in  full  compliance  with  EU 
Convention  on  Access 
Information,  Public 
to 
Participation  in  Decision-making  and  Access  to  Justice 
in environmental matters (Aarhus Convention). 

Access 
evidence 

to 

information,  knowledge  and 

The  Aarhus  Convention  and  related  EU  legislation  on 
access  to  information  and  the  sharing  of  spatial  data 
require that the public has access to clear information on 
the environment, including on how Union environmental 
law is being implemented. 

authorities 

public 
the  public, 

and 
increasingly 

It is of crucial importance to public authorities, the public 
and business that environmental information is shared in 
an  efficient  and  effective  way.  This  covers  reporting  by 
active 
and 
businesses 
dissemination 
through 
to 
electronic means. 
The  Aarhus  Convention132,  the  Access  to  Environmental 
Information  Directive133  and  the  INSPIRE  Directive134 
together  create  a  legal  foundation  for  the  sharing  of 
environmental  information  between  public  authorities 
and with the public. They also represent the green part of 
the  ongoing  EU  e-Government  Action  Plan135.  The  first 
two 
to  provide 
information  to  the  public,  both  on  request  and  actively. 
The  INSPIRE  Directive  is  a  pioneering  instrument  for 
electronic  data-sharing  between  public  authorities  who 
can  vary  in  their  data-sharing  policies,  e.g.  on  whether 
access to data is for free. The INSPIRE Directive sets up a 
geoportal which indicates the level of shared spatial data 
in  each  Member  State  –  i.e.  data  related  to  specific 
locations,  such  as  air  quality  monitoring  data.  Amongst 
it  facilitates  the  public  authorities' 
other  benefits 
reporting obligations.  

create  obligations 

instruments 

131 See study on access to justice in environmental matters in Austria  
132 UNECE, 1998. Convention on Access to Information, Public 
Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in 
Environmental Matters  

133 European Union, Directive 2003/4/EC on public access to 

environmental information 

134 European Union, INSPIRE Directive 2007/2/EC  
135 European Union, EU eGovernment Action Plan 2016-2020 - 

Accelerating the digital transformation of government COM(2016) 
179 final  

136 Upon request by the Commission, most Member States provided an 
INSPIRE Action Plan addressing implementation issues. These plans 
are currently being assessed by the Commission. 

137 European Commission, INSPIRE reports 
138 Inspire indicator trends  
139 Inspire Resources Summary Report 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Austria