Capital: Vienna
Population: 8.3 mill.
GDP per capita: 31 100 Euros (2006)
Schengen zone: yes
Eurozone: yes
EU-accession: 1995
Cities with European institutions or agencies: European Fundamental Rights Agency (Vienna)
EU-relations:
For a long time, Austria's policy of neutrality in foreign affairs posed an obstacle on its path to the EC. Austria changed its position only after the end of the Cold War and started to consider EU-accession. Austria's decision to join the EC was born out of the wish to participate in the creation of European unification, as well as the concern that it otherwise would fall behind in terms of economic development in Europe. Austria joined the EU together with Sweden and Finland on 1 January 1995, after two-thirds of voters had voted yes in a referendum in June 1994. However, Austria's population remains highly sceptical towards the EU.In a Eurobarometer survey conducted in the Autumn of 2006, only 36% of the population thought that EU-membership was a good thing. This scepticism is mainly directed at the enlargement to the East , despite the fact that the country benefits economically from the proximity to these new EU members.
To counter the prejudice that Brussels-based EU officials merely twiddle their thumbs or issue “bent cucumber rules”, the European Commission has published a guide presenting the EU’s achievements for its citizens in 2009. Decisions taken at a European level have numerous consequences on our daily lives: the EU enforced cheaper phone calls across Europe and standardised chargers for mobile phones, it increases costumers’ rights for online shopping and it brought in new rules to cut down harmful pollutants from petrol or pesticides. Still not convinced? More examples can be found in the guide, which can be downloaded as PDF.
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