In Austria, as in the majority of EU countries, greenhouse gas emissions are currently rising most strongly in the transport sector. In view of the Kyoto commitments and the EU's greenhouse-gas policy, the reduction of transport-related emissions therefore is a matter of great urgency. This...

Intragovernmental transfers are an important element of the fiscal equalisation system. With respect to efficiency, the principle of fiscal equivalence or fiscal connectivity is central to the arrangement of fiscal relations between the individual levels of a federal state. Based on this...

Efficient and effective fiscal equalisation is above all based on fiscal equivalence and the accountability of decision makers. This means that the public-interest orientated fulfilment of tasks based on the principle of subsidiarity can take place when the responsibilities for tasks, spending...