1st HRWG – Meeting 6/7 February 2006

HISTORICAL MILESTONES Celtic Kingdom of Noricum Province of the Roman Empire Bavarian settlement/Carolingian March 996 1156 1282 1522/1526 1740-1790 „Ostarrichi“ Duchy 600 years of Habsburg rule began Division into Spanish and Austrian Line/Hungary and Bohemia added Maria Theresia/Josef II establish basis for a modern state („enlighted absolutism“) 1804/1806 1867 1914 1918 Proclamation of the Empire of Austria/End of Holy Roman Empire Establishment of Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand/Outbreak of Word War I Defeat of Centralpowers/Dual Monarchy disintegrated/Austria became Republic

27.4.1945 1920 1938 1939 Constitution Occupation by Hitler‘s troops „Anschluss“ Outbreak of World War II Declaration of Independence/Begin of 2nd Republic 1955 1979 1989 1995 „Österreich ist frei!“ Signing of State Treaty / UN-Membership Vienna becomes UN-seat Fall of the „Iron Curtain“: new relations with old neighbours / Application for EU-membership Austria becomes member of the EU

Together in the Future…! 1998 1999 2002 1.5.2004 1.1.2006 First Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU Schengen Treaty in force EURO Enlargement: from periphery to centre Beginning of the 2nd Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU

AUSTRIA IN BRIEF Inhabitants: 8,207.000 of total (plus 67.000 compared to year before) 51% women, 49% men Religion: 73,7% catholic 9 „Länder“ (Provinces) 2.359 Municipalities

AUSTRIAN ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE Legislature: carried out by the Federation („Bund“) or the „Länder“ according to the competence assigned by the Federal Constitution (including budget autonomy for both) Judiciary: carried out exclusively by the Federation ordinary successive stages of appeal: District Court -> Regional Court -> Court of Appeal -> Supreme Court extraordinary successive stages of appeal: Constitutional Court (since 1920) – control of legislation and administration (human rights violation) Administrative Court (since 1867) – control of administration

Executive Power: Federation: - „Direct Federal Administration“: is carried out by federal ministers and federal authorities; regional administration is carried out by federal authorities only in areas explicitly mentioned in the Federal Constitution eg general public security, military, customs, judicial system - „Indirect Federal Administration“: regional administration that is not explicitly assigned to the federation is carried out by the Province Governor and his/hers subordinated provincial authorities on the basis of federal law and bound by instructions of the Federal Ministers

„Länder“ (Provinces): - Administration of the competences of the Länder is carried out by the provincial authorities headed by the Province Governments; responsible for all competences not explicitely assigned to the Federation by the Federal Constitution Municipalities: - self-governing bodies - execute also state administration (means that local authorities carry out competences originally assigned to the Federation or the Länder under their supervision)

PUBLIC SERVICE IN AUSTRIA Number of Persons employed on 31.12.2004 (full-time equivalent) Federal Government 132.756 „Länder“ (Provinces) 180.498 Municipalities 70.400 Federal Government employment 7,1 % work in ministries, 92,4 % in numerous subordinate federal agencies (schools, courts of justice, prisons, revenue offices, police authorites, etc) 37,7 % of civil servants are women; majority of contractual employees women 37,4 % of men and 56,5 % of women in Federal Government A Level 63,2 % age 40+ during the period from 1991 to 2005 35 outsourcing/corporatisation projects: persons employed by Federal Government strongly decreased approx. 300.000 =>132.000

LET‘S START… !