In numerous countries the global financial and economic crisis has entailed a surge of government debt, which will call for enhanced consolidation efforts in the future. In the past consolidation strategies focusing primarily on spending cuts proved sustainable, whereas mostly revenue-based...

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...

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...

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 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...

During the period of 2012-2017, the Austrian economy is projected to grow at an average annual of 1.7 percent. The average growh rate will thus be lower than in the decade preceding the recent financial and economic crises. The main causes of this sluggish pace of economic growth will lie in the...

The Austrian Federal Government has set itself the goal to reduce the Maastricht deficit to 2.7 percent of the GDP by 2013. In the medium term, a consolidation of the public budgets will be necessary to regain room for manoeuvre for budget policy and to avoid undesirable distributive effects of...