On the 26th of June 2003 an agreement was reached by farm ministers to reform the Common Agricultural Policy of the EU. Decoupling direct payments from farm output and the reduction of administrative prices are core elements of this reform. The goals of the reform are less output of cereals,...

Prices for major farm commodities have undergone a substantial rise since 2002, driven up by growing demand as well as increasing energy prices. For the next years, prices for agricultural produce are expected to remain substantially above the level they had attained the start of the decade.

WIFO continues, in the present paper, its report on key indicators of climate change and energy use in Austria with data for the year 2009. The indicators thus mirror the impact of the economic crisis 2008-09 on greenhouse gas emissions, and the use and consumption of energy. The...

The new revenue sharing system that became effective at the beginning of 2008 in Austria is planned to apply for six years and essentially continues the system in place up to now with a few innovations to the current structures. However, during the first three-year period, a commission of...

The new financial framework of the EU for the years from 2007 to 2013 provides for total liabilities amounting to € 864 billion. The budget thereby just slightly exceeds 1 percent of aggregate national income of the 27 member states. However, the composition of expenditure corresponds only to...

The frequently expressed assumption that there is significant savings potential in Austria's public administration is based on the general notion that Austrian bureaucracy is "too large" and/or "too expensive". In the context of ongoing discussions on administrative reform, this study compares...

The global financial and economic crisis will have an adverse effect on Austria's growth in the medium-term. Between 2010 and 2014, gross domestic product will expand by an average of 1.8 percent per year. The recession has lasting effects on the labour market and public finances. The inflation...

The high public deficits expected in the coming years can largely be attributed to the budgetary effects of the financial market and economic crisis. Against the backdrop of a long term budget burden through increased debt and a demographically-related increase in expenditures, it is all the...

The Austrian economy will not regain significant momentum before 2014. During the forecast period from 2012 until 2016 real GDP will grow by 1.6 percent per year on average. Exports will expand by 5.5 percent per year. Imports, by contrast, will increase by only 5.1 percent. The average...

Numerous studies show that reducing public expenditure is of particular importance to increase the likelihood that a budget consolidation will succeed. In international comparisons the high share of government spending in Austria, relative to its expenditure actually on productive issues, would...