Photo: BMLFUW/Michalski
Agricultural policy in Austria
Austria is located in Central Europe. On 1 January 1995 Austria became a member of the European Union. Since the early nineties the international economy is marked by globalisation. How does Austria practice agricultural policy as an EU Member State and in view of the globalisation of agricultural markets?
The objectives of the Austrian agricultural policy are laid down in the Farm Act of 1992. In consideration of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union (EU) its objectives include, among other things:· to preserve a viable, economically sound, farm-based agriculture in an intact rural area;
· to promote the manifold earning and employment combinations between agriculture and other
economic sectors;
· to expand agricultural production, processing and marketing based on market-orientation;
· to support agriculture in order to enable it to balance natural disadvantages compared to other
branches of the economy;
· to offer the population optimum supply with high-quality food and raw materials;
· to safeguard the natural assets of soil, water and air;
· to preserve and shape the cultural and recreational landscape;
· as well as to promote the protection against natural hazards.
The maintenance of family farms, a wide ecological orientation and the further development of the economic capacity of agriculture are playing key roles in this context.
Attention is also paid to the ever-growing importance of extra-agricultural income combinations, better compensation of non-productive services through direct payments as well as a stronger orientation towards entrepreneurial initiatives in the agricultural sector.
As for each and every other economic branch, regulatory measures are also in agriculture for the greater part based on a specific legislation. In addition, also non-agricultural laws have impacts on the margin of the agricultural policy.
The second main pillar of agricultural policy is agricultural subsidisation, which has been designed primarily within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy since Austria’s accession to the European Union.
Public institutions involved in the implementation of Austrian agricultural policy
The main players of Austrian agricultural policy are:
1. Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (Ministry of Life)
2. Offices of the Federal Governments
3. Chambers of Agriculture
4. Agrar Markt Austria (AMA)
5. Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES)
1. Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (Ministry of Life)
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management is responsible for the federal orientation of Austria’s agricultural policy and its harmonisation within the framework of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. Its competences are regulated in the Federal Ministries Act and comprise activities in the fields of agricultural subsidisation, agricultural extension, education and research, market organisation, trade policy etc.
The annual Green Report of the Ministry of Life informs about the situation of agriculture in Austria. It informs about the implementation of the Austrian agricultural policy, the situation of agriculture within Austria’s national economy, agricultural subsidies, as well as the economic situation of agriculture.
In matters concerning the Common Agricultural Policy the Republic of Austria is represented in the EU Council by the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management. He is first and foremost responsible for the national implementation of the acquis communautaire, the agricultural market policy, the agricultural structural policy and the accompanying measures, as well as for the remaining national subsidisation activities (provided they do not fall within the competence of the Federal Provinces).
Also the subsidiary offices of the Ministry form part of the “network” of agricultural policy.
2. Offices of the Provincial Governments
Due to the federalist structure of the Austrian state, agriculture- and forestry-related tasks are carried out by the Federal Provinces, above all via the agricultural divisions at the offices of the Provincial Governments. Priority is given to the implementation of subsidisation measures for agricultural and forestry enterprises and the improvement of the entire infrastructure in rural areas.
The Federal Provinces provide considerable funds for these subsidies every year and therefore make an important contribution to the development of agriculture and forestry in Austria.
3. Chambers of Agriculture
All self-employed persons active in agriculture and forestry as well as the members of their families working with them are by law members of the Chambers of Agriculture. Chambers of Agriculture are legally established representations of interest.
The members of the Chambers of Agriculture have the right to make use of the services of the Chambers of Agriculture without paying for them and to elect their bodies freely. The services of the Chambers of Agriculture relate in particular to information, consulting and expert advice with respect to subsidies. The Chambers are regional contact partners for farmers in their districts and offer platforms for communication and networking. Members of the Chambers of Agricultures also have the duty to pay levy contributions so as to ensure the financing of the expenses of the Agricultural Chambers.
The Chambers of Agriculture are linked by an umbrella organisation, the Standing Committee of the Presidents of the Austrian Chambers of Agriculture (PRÄKO), which acts as a national coordination body.
The Standing Committee safeguards the interests of the Chambers of Agriculture vis-à-vis all-Austrian institutions like the corporate authorities of the Federal Government, the highest administrative bodies, various economic establishment, e.g. in the market organisation agency Agrar Markt Austria, but also in many commissions, advisory committees and scientific institutions.
Since Austria’s accession to the European Union the Standing Committee of the Presidents of the Chambers of Agriculture is also a member of COPA, the Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations in Europe. In this way it is also in a position to represent the interests of Austria’s agriculture and forestry at the European level.
A particularity of the Austrian economic policy is the voluntary cooperation of the four major representations of interest (Standing Committee of the Presidents of the Chambers of Agriculture, Austrian Economic Chamber, Federal Chamber of Labour, Austrian Federation of Trade Unions), which has existed since 1957. Important economic decisions are taken and bases for decision-making for public bodies are worked out in this typically Austrian institution called “Sozialpartnerschaft” (social partnership).
4. Agrar Markt Austria (AMA)
In 1993 Agrar Markt Austria (AMA) was founded, on the one hand to execute the agricultural market regulations, on the other hand to take over agricultural marketing. Moreover, AMA handles also the payment of premiums and subsidies. Being a market organisation and intervention body AMA is a corporation under public law and administers public funds.
However, legislation also provides for AMA’s task to enhance the marketing of domestic foods which is financed through marketing contributions. For this purpose AMA maintains the subsidiary company Agrar Markt Austria-Marketing. It develops marketing and advertising strategies for Austrian agricultural products in Austria and abroad and at the same time takes quality-enhancing measures like the “AMA-Gütezeichen” (AMA quality label) or the “AMA-Biozeichen” (AMA organic label).
5. Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES)
By order of the Republic of Austria the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, AGES, carries out diverse tasks related to food safety. It inspects and issues appraisals in accordance with the Austrian Food Act, conducts investigations in the field of veterinary medicine and works to fight and prevent infectious diseases in humans.
As of 1 June 2002 18 federal institutes and agencies active in the fields of food safety, bacteriology and serology, veterinary medicine and agriculture were merged under the roof of AGES. Austria is thus the only European country where the federal competences from most different technical fields along the food chain are bundled in one enterprise.
In addition to these five main players there are a large number of voluntary organisations that deal with technical agricultural and forestry matters. Examples are the Federal Association of Vine-Growers, the Federal Association of Machinery Pools, the Federation of Austrian Cattle Breeders, the Austrian Federal Association of Farmers and Forest Owners, the Federal Association of Austrian Horticulturists, the Working Group Agricultural Poultry Management, the Sheep Breeders’ Association, and many others. These organisations cooperate closely with the Chambers of Agriculture.
“Inofficial” actors in the network of agricultural decision-making structures and developers of the Austrian agricultural policy are traditionally found in the field of the agricultural co-operative system.
Last but not least the Vienna University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences through its traditionally close relations with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management provides impetuses for the development of the agricultural policy.
17.06.2008, Lebensministerium Öffentlichkeitsarbeit