Austria's Eu Membership: What's The Status?

Austria is a federal parliamentary republic and a member state of the European Union. It joined the EU on 1 January 1995, following a successful referendum. The country has actively participated in all the EU institutions and has held the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union three times. Austria is a semi-presidential representative democracy with a popularly elected president as head of state and a chancellor as head of government and chief executive.

Austria joined the EU in 1995

Austria has been a member of the European Union since 1995. The country joined the EU on 1 January 1995, along with Finland and Sweden. Austria's membership of the EU came about following five years of successful negotiations and a national referendum.

Austria's application to join the EU was submitted in July 1989. This was partly due to the economic downturn of the 1980s, which made it harder for Austrian companies to export to the EU. Austria's traditional neutrality during the Cold War had also previously been an obstacle to membership of an organisation with a common foreign and security policy. However, once the Cold War ended, this obstacle was removed, and Austria's desire to join the EU grew stronger.

Since joining the EU, Austria has actively participated in all the EU institutions and has held the presidency of the Council of the European Union three times: in 1998, 2006, and 2018. Austria has also contributed to the EU in other ways, including driving sustainable innovation as a global leader in organic farming and green technologies, and supporting the integration of new member states from central and eastern Europe.

Austria has also benefited from its membership of the EU, with its citizens and businesses gaining opportunities from European integration. For example, Austrian employment has grown by nearly 32% since 1995, and the country has seen an increase in real GDP. The EU's Single Market has also been a boon for Austria, with the country benefiting from fewer trade barriers, greater competitiveness, additional support for companies, and increased exports.

The Euro is the official currency of Austria

Austria has been a member of the European Union since 1 January 1995. As an EU member state, Austria adopted the Euro as its official currency on 1 January 1999, replacing the Austrian Schilling. The Euro is used by 20 out of 27 EU member states and is an important symbol of unity and shared identity within the Eurozone.

The transition to the Euro was a significant change for Austria, with the Schilling being the country's currency since 1925, except for a brief period between 1938 and 1945 when the German Reichsmark was imposed. The Euro was introduced at a fixed rate of €1 to 13.7603 Schillings, which proved challenging for calculations in everyday transactions. Despite this, the transition was relatively smooth, and the Euro quickly became a common currency in Austria.

The Euro banknotes and coins were physically introduced in Austria on 1 January 2002, after a three-year transitional period during which the Euro was the official currency but existed only as 'book money'. The dual circulation period, when both the Schilling and the Euro had legal tender status, ended on 28 February 2002, as the old Schilling coins and banknotes were gradually phased out of circulation.

Today, the Euro is an integral part of Austria's economy and facilitates trade and transactions within the country and across the Eurozone. The currency is divided into 100 cents, with coins of one, two, five, 10, 20, and 50 cents, as well as one and two Euros. Euro banknotes come in denominations of five, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 Euros.

Austria has been a member of the UN since 1955

Austria has been a member of the United Nations since 14 December 1955, when it joined as the 70th member state. Since then, it has established itself as an engaged member, advocating for a strong and efficient UN and actively participating in its work. Austria is also one of four UN headquarters worldwide, and it strongly supports effective multilateralism, international dialogue, and a UN that is fit for the 21st century.

Austria's priorities as a member state include peace, security, conflict prevention, and the strengthening of human rights and the rule of law. The country also places great emphasis on the protection of civilians, particularly women and children, in armed conflict and the fight against impunity. Additionally, Austria has a particular interest in the fight against drugs and organised crime, disarmament, non-proliferation, environmental issues, and the development of international law.

Austria has played a significant role in increasing the UN's focus on human rights, the rule of law, and the protection of civilians. Through its engagement, Austria has secured broad recognition and support for these topics within the UN Security Council. The country has also been elected to the Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council multiple times, reflecting its active, fair, and principled engagement with the organisation.

Austria's involvement in the UN has also extended to the reform process, where it is committed to improving the working methods of the UN Security Council. During the UN General Assembly in 2015, Austria supported Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development, pledging to work towards addressing global challenges such as poverty and climate change. Additionally, Austria contributes to the sustainable development of both the country and the world, aiming for human dignity, a healthy planet, just and resilient societies, and economic well-being.

In addition to its membership in the UN, Austria is also a part of the European Union. It became a member state on 1 January 1995 and adopted the euro currency in 1999. As an EU member, Austria benefits from being part of the Single Market and a shared approach to challenges such as migration, terrorism, and climate change. It also gains from concrete gains like improved transport infrastructure, modernised and digitalised public services, and advanced medical treatment.

German is the official language of Austria

Austria has been a member of the European Union since 1 January 1995. The country uses the Euro, is part of the Schengen area, and has 20 representatives in the European Parliament.

Austrian German is mutually intelligible with Standard German, and speakers from both countries can generally understand each other. However, there are accent and vocabulary differences between the two. For instance, while Germans say "hallo" or "guten tag" to greet someone, Austrians say "grüß gott" or "servus". Austrians also have unique words for certain foods, such as "Marillen" for apricots, "Palatschinken" for pancakes, and "Sackerl" for a small bag.

In addition to the standard variety, Austrians in everyday life mostly speak one of several Upper German dialects, influenced by the Bavarian dialect and Slavic languages like Slovenian and Czech. These dialects include Central Austro-Bavarian, Southern Austro-Bavarian, and Vorarlbergerisch, a High Alemannic dialect spoken in Vorarlberg. While communication can be easier in certain regions, such as rural Bavaria, strong forms of various dialects may not be fully mutually intelligible to northern Germans.

Austria is a semi-presidential representative democracy

The Austrian Federal Constitution was passed by the Constituent National Assembly on October 1, 1920. It was formulated by representatives of the political parties and experts from the State Chancellery, but most notably by Professor Hans Kelsen (1881-1973). The Federal Constitution was amended in 1929 to grant wider powers to the Federal President.

The Austrian political system reflects the dynamics of competition among multiple political parties. The conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the centre-left Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) dominated politics and public life for decades after World War II, with only the FPÖ playing a significant role at the national level. More recently, newer parties such as the Greens and the NEOS have gained prominence.

Austria's legislative bodies, whose members are elected by the people, include the lower chamber of the Federal Parliament (Nationalrat), the nine State Parliaments (Landtage), and the 2,000 municipal councils (Gemeinderäte). The people also elect the Federal President (Bundespräsident) and the Austrian members of the European Parliament.

Austria's judiciary is independent of the executive and legislative branches of government. The federal cabinet, consisting of the Federal Chancellor and ministers appointed by the president, answers to the National Council and can be forced to resign through a motion of no confidence.

Austria's constitution characterizes the republic as a federation of nine autonomous federal states (Bundesländer). The states have written constitutions defining them as republican entities governed according to the principles of representative democracy. The Austrian government structure resembles that of larger federal republics such as Germany.

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