Sustainability policy
The term “sustainability” is highly multifaceted and is used today in a variety of different contexts. The Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth (BMWFJ) has a major role to play in ensuring sustainable development in Austria.
The debate on sustainability originated at the international level in 2000, when the United Nations adopted the UN Millennium Declaration in an effort to ensure sustainable global development. In 2001, a Working Group consisting of representatives of the UN, the World Bank, the OECD and several NGOs compiled a list of goals for implementing the targets set in this Declaration. These eight goals, which are to be achieved by 2015, have become known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a list of goals to which the Austrian Development Cooperation has committed itself.
For more information about sustainable development efforts on an international scale, please click here.
At the European level, the European Council meeting at Gothenburg in June 2001 discussed the following proposal made by the European Commission: A Sustainable Europe for a Better World: A European Strategy for Sustainable Development. In February 2002, the Commission adopted a second paper, this time targeting foreign policy: Towards a Global Partnership for Sustainable Development. Under the Austrian EU presidency, the European Council adopted the Renewed EU Sustainable Development Strategy in June 2006.
If you would like to know more about how the European Union implements its sustainable development strategy, please click here.
The adoption of the strategy Austria – Towards a Sustainable Future (Österreichs Zukunft Nachhaltig Gestalten) (only available in German) by the Austrian federal government in April 2002 marked an important milestone on the way towards sustainable development in Austria.
The purpose of governmental sustainability policy is to find strategies for coping with current challenges and pooling the strengths and resources of various stakeholders in a concerted effort.
Another important milestone in Austria’s sustainability policy is the development of guiding principles for Austria's foreign trade (österreichisches Außenwirtschaftsleitbild, only available in German). For more information on these guiding principles, please click here.
For more information on sustainable development in Austria, click here.
At the BMWFJ, sustainability policy and development policy fall within the responsibility of the EU Coordination unit. It not only represents the interests of Austria as a business location as well as family and youth matters at the national and international levels, but also develops BMWFJ-wide position papers and advocates these positions with the respective ministry that represents Austria in the EU bodies at any given moment.
The aim of the European Union’s environmental policy is to protect the environment. In 1958, when the European Community was first founded, the Treaties did not yet make express mention of environmental policy. The Paris Summit in 1972 marked the beginning of Community initiatives in this area. The EU Member States agreed on the importance of environmental protection for the future and defined improving the quality of life as a goal. A new Directorate General Environment was set up within the EU Commission. In 2010, Slovenian-born Janez Potocnik was appointed European Commissioner for the Environment of the European Union.
The Single European Act (1987 /Art.130r-t) made it possible to impose legally binding regulations relating to the environment throughout the European Union. Since 1999, it has become mandatory to take prior account of environmental impacts for all EU policies. The European Union has thus committed itself to reviewing all Community measures (pertaining to agriculture, energy, transport, regional development, etc.) for their compatibility with the environment.
Since 1973, more than 300 European legal instruments have been adopted which the EU Member States have had to translate into national law, implement and monitor. They are adapted and amended from time to time to reflect the latest state of the art. Nearly all aspects of environmental policy are nowadays being covered by EU environmental legislation. The main focus points are guidelines for ensuring clean air and clean water as well as regulations pertaining to waste management, nature conservation and the protection of species. A major item on the EU’s agenda is climate policy, which has become one of the most rapidly evolving fields of EU policy in recent years.
EU environment action programmes
Since 1973, the European Union has been pooling its environment policy measures in the form of so-called environment action programmes. The Sixth Environment Action Programme, which was adopted in July 2002, defines the EU priorities and objectives up to 2012. Four major fields of action have been identified: climate change; nature and biodiversity; environment, health and quality of life; management of natural resources and waste. Concrete objectives and actions within the framework of this programme contribute to strengthening the EU’s role as an international pioneer in environmental protection. It is the task of the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament to fill the Sixth Environment Action Programme with life by adopting thematic strategies and individual measures as promptly as possible.
The BMWJF acts as a partner in drawing up and revising proposals for environmentally relevant guidelines or regulations on an ongoing basis, while at the same time, never losing sight of its task of safeguarding Austria’s competitive position as a business location. The overall aim is to create a win-win situation for businesses, the labour market and the environment. Areas such as air and water pollution, waste management or chemicals are subject to particularly stringent regulation. To ensure fast and efficient coordination in these areas, the BMWFJ has set up the so-called environment interface unit (Division C2/4), while the Kyoto Task Force is in charge of climate policy.
Environmental strategies focus, above all, on further developing and implementing environmental legislation, integrating environment policy with other fields of policy and fostering cooperation among various stakeholders from the worlds of business, science, politics and NGOs. Other major issues include environmental liability and information duties as well as advocating sustainable patterns of consumption and production.
Further information
EU environment and sustainability strategies
The BMWFJ - service hub for the environment industry
Climate protection and business
