The Austrian Experience

1

Strengthening Co-operation Between Government and
Business in Estonia

• The Austrian Experience
• Stefan Pistauer
• Tallinn, August 26th 2004E-mail
  stefan.pistauer_at_eu.austria.be

2
Wirtschaftskammer Österreich

• Public Law Chamber
• Mandatory membership
• Independent
• Statutory body representing the interests of
  all Austrian entrepreneurs(312.000 enterprises
  in trade and industry)

3
Co-operation Why?

• An additional policy level emerged
• Shift from the national to the EU level
• To inform the EU decision makers of Austrias
  concerns

4
Co-operation - Why?

• Danger of Exclusion
• Information Deficits
• Democratic Principles
• Legitimate Partners
• Lisbon Targets
• Enlargement

5

Commission Council Working groups COREPER
Council of Ministers European Parliament Court of
Justice etc.
Judgement
Commission
Recommendation
European Court of Justice
Decision
Regulation
Council
European Level
Parliament Ministries AdministrationSocial
Partners
National Level
National Level
6
Co-operation Where?

• Lobbying
• European level
• Commission
• Parliament
• European Interest Groups
• National level
• Relevant Ministries
• Parliament

7
Co-operation Legal basis

• Europa-Accord between SPÖ and ÖVP (22.4.1994)
• Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
• Equal opportunities for participants in the
  Austrian decision making process
• Inner Austrian forming of an opinion
• Official co-operation with relevant EU-bodies

8
Co-operation Legal basis

• The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber is to be
  immediately informed of all legislative proposals
  at EU-level and especially has to be given the
  opportunity to deliver its positions on EU-draft
  directives, regulations or recommendations within
  appropriate time.

Art. 6. Abs. 3 of the Law concerning the
establishment of the WKÖ
9
Co-operation Legal basis

• Communication by the Federal Chancellery and the
  Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning the legal
  and organizational matters of EU
  membershipBKA-GZ 671.982/001-V/A/8/03BMAA-GZ
  2356.810/0001e-I.A./03

10
Co-operation Vienna
The EU-Policy Coordination Department
11
EU-Policy Coordination Department Main
objectives

• EU-Agenda - monitoring and early warning
• Positioning in main EU-Policies
  (Enlargement, Constitution Intergovernmental
  Conference, European Councils, Lisbon-process,
  etc.)
• EU-Public Relation/Information
• Coordination of lobbying-activities and -network
• Point of contact for EU-office, European
  business associations
• Service point for European topics and requests
  (EIC)

12
EU-Policy Coordination Department Working
methods

• Strategic management of knowledge (wko.at,
  databases)
• Mirror-function for political departments and
  sections in Vienna and Brussels
• Euro Info Centre Service, Internal Market
  observation and infringements (access to the
  Commission)
• COREPER-coordination and distribution of
  information

13
Co-operation - Vienna

• Council/Interministerial Coordination in Vienna
• Council documents
• Preparation of and reports on Council Working
  Groups
• Coordination of COREPER (Tuesday)
• Preparation of Council meetings
• Preparation of the European Council
• Council for European Integration (2 x
  p.a., chaired by Foreign Minister)
• EU-Committee of the Austrian Parliament
• Nomination of 3 members for ECOSOC

14
Co-operation - Brussels

• The EU-Office of theAustrian Federal Economic
  Chamber (WKÖ) in Brussels
• in
• the Permanent Representation of Austria to the
  European Union

15
The Permanent Representation of Austria

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Austrian Federal Chancellery
• Ministries
• Representation of the Länder
• Association of Austrian cities and towns
• Association of Austrian municipalities
• Austrian National Bank
• Social Partners

16
The Social Partners in the Permanent
Representation of Austria

• Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
• Austrian Chambers of Agriculture
• Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour
• Austrian Trade Union
• Federation of Austrian Industry

17
The Tasks of the EU-Office

• Participation in the legislative process
• Lobbying
• Participation in EU business associations
• Internal market observation
• Introduction of the Euro
• Legal advice
• Third country support programmes
• Training
• Information and Public relations (EU-Newsflash,
  EU-Today)

18
Co-operation - Brussels

• Weekly meeting of Heads of department
• Weekly meeting with Ministry of Economic Affairs
• Coordination of COREPER
• Ad hoc coordination

19

Strengthening Co-operation Between Government and
Business in Estonia

• The Austrian Experience
• Stefan Pistauer
• Tallinn, August 26th 2004E-mail
  stefan.pistauer_at_eu.austria.be

20
The WKÖ-Network
EP
Council
UEAPME
EC
EuroCommerce
EUROCHAMBRES
ECJ

21
WKÖ staff members in Brussels

• EU-Office
• 12 EU-Office (6 Academics, 6 Assistance and
  Support)
• 1 Correspondent for public- and press
  relations

22
WKÖ staff members in Brussels

• National experts
• 2 DG Trade
• 1 DG Information Society
• 1 EuropeAid
• Trainees with members of the European Parliament
• 1 Office of MEP Othmar Karas
• 1 Office of MEP Paul Rübig

23
WKÖ staff members in Brussels

• European business associations
• 2 EUROCHAMBRES
• 1 UEAPME
• 1 EuroCommerce

24
Former WKÖ staff members in Brussels and
Luxembourg

• 1 Member of the European Parliament
• 1 Head of unit in DG Enlargement
• 1 Deputy Head of the Commission Delegation in
  Japan
• 15 in various Commission DGs
• 2 in the Council of the European Unions
• 1 in the European Investment Bank
• 2 Directors in liaison offices (Tyrol and
  Burgenland)

25
WKÖ participation in the ECOSOC

• Nomination of 3 members of Group I
• 1 Functionary
• 1 WKÖ Staff member
• 1 delegated by Federation of Industries

26
Elected Functionaries

• President of EUROCHAMBRES
• President of EuroCommerce
• President of CEPI
• President of EURELECTRIC
• President of CEFS
• Vice-President of UEAPME
• Vice-President of UNICE
• Members of ECOSOC

27

Strengthening Co-operation Between Government and
Business in Estonia

• The Austrian Experience
• Stefan Pistauer
• Tallinn, August 26th 2004E-mail
  stefan.pistauer_at_eu.austria.be