OECD Environmental performance reviews : Austria

Foreword......Page 5
Table of Contents......Page 6
List of Figures, Tables and Boxes......Page 10
List of Team Members......Page 13
Map of Austria......Page 14
1. Conclusions and Recommendations......Page 16
Implementing more efficient environmental policies......Page 17
Air......Page 19
Water......Page 20
Nature and biodiversity......Page 22
Integrating environmental concerns into economic decisions......Page 23
Integrating environmental and social concerns......Page 25
Sustainable forest management......Page 26
3. International Environmental Co-operation......Page 28
2. Air Management......Page 32
Conclusions......Page 33
1. Air Management Objectives and Targets......Page 34
Table 2.1 Selected national ambient air quality standards and corresponding EU standards......Page 35
2.1 An effective approach......Page 37
2.2 Perspectives: further results and improved efficiency?......Page 38
3.1 Air emissions......Page 39
Figure 2.1 Air pollutant emissions......Page 41
Table 2.2 Emission trends and structure......Page 42
3.2 Ambient air quality......Page 43
4.1 Objectives......Page 45
Figure 2.3 Trends in the transport sector......Page 46
Box 2.1 Transalpine freight transport......Page 47
4.2 Environmental measures in the transport sector......Page 48
4.3 Market-based integration in the transport sector: taxation and pricing policies......Page 49
Figure 2.4 Road fuel prices and taxes......Page 51
5.2 Environmental measures in the energy sector......Page 52
Figure 2.5 Energy structure and intensity......Page 53
Box 2.2 Decoupling results in the energy sector......Page 54
5.3 Market-based integration in the energy sector: taxation and pricing policies......Page 55
3. Water Management......Page 58
Conclusions......Page 59
1. Policy Objectives in the 1990s......Page 60
Box 3.1 Institutional developments......Page 62
2.1 Water quality in rivers and lakes......Page 61
2.2 Groundwater quality......Page 63
Figure 3.1 River water quality in Austria......Page 64
3.1 Water supply......Page 65
3.2 Sewerage connections and wastewater treatment......Page 66
Table 3.2 Sewerage and treatment connection rates......Page 67
Table 3.3 Trends in COD discharges from selected industry branches......Page 68
Figure 3.4 Trends in the pulp and paper industry......Page 69
5. Integrating Agricultural and Water Policies......Page 70
Figure 3.6 Discharges of nutrients from households to the environment versus total population......Page 71
6.1 Expenditure and financing......Page 72
Box 3.2 Trends in the water sector: improving cost-effectiveness......Page 74
6.2 Structure of water charges......Page 75
Box 3.3 Protection against flood and natural hazards, and the “Living Rivers” programme......Page 76
4. Nature and Biodiversity......Page 78
Conclusions......Page 79
1. Objectives and Institutional Framework......Page 80
Table 4.1 Selected provincial legislation related to nature conservation......Page 81
Table 4.2 Vascular plants: endangered and threatened status......Page 82
Figure 4.1 Status of fauna in Austria......Page 83
3. Protecting Special Areas: Aiming at a Coherent Network......Page 84
Table 4.3 Main national protected areas......Page 86
3.2 International nature networks......Page 85
4.1 Spatial planning......Page 87
4.3 Agriculture......Page 88
4.4 Tourism......Page 89
5.1 Regional co-operation......Page 90
Box 4.1 Transboundary co-operation for nature protection......Page 91
5.2 International Conventions......Page 92
Box 4.2 Hunting and nature conservation......Page 93
5. Environmental – Economic Interface......Page 94
Integrating environmental concerns into economic decisions......Page 95
Implementing more efficient environmental policies......Page 97
1.1 Decoupling of environmental pressures from economic growth......Page 98
Figure 5.1 Economic structure and trends......Page 99
Table 5.1 Economic trends and environmental pressures......Page 100
Box 5.1 Economic context......Page 101
1.2 Sustainable development: strategy, institutions, implementation......Page 102
1.3 Sustainable development in practice: integration of environmental concerns into sectoral policies......Page 104
Box 5.2 Energy policy priorities......Page 105
Box 5.3 Three federal funds to support environmental investments......Page 106
Table 5.2 Selected environmentally related taxes on transport and energy......Page 109
1.4 Pollution abatement and control expenditure......Page 111
Table 5.3 Pollution abatement and control (PAC) expenditure......Page 112
2.1 Institutional and regulatory framework......Page 113
Figure 5.2 Structure of environmental administration in Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management......Page 115
Table 5.4 Selected federal environmental legislation......Page 117
2.2 Regulatory instruments......Page 116
Table 5.5 Federal Environment Fund support for alternative energy projects......Page 120
2.4 User and polluter charges......Page 121
Table 5.6 Selected environmental charges......Page 122
2.5 Voluntary initiatives......Page 123
6. Environmental-social Interface......Page 126
Conclusions......Page 127
Table 6.1 Population distribution among provinces (Länder)......Page 128
Box 6.1 Social context......Page 129
Figure 6.1 Social indicators......Page 130
2.1 Social partnership and public participation......Page 131
Box 6.2 Local Agenda 21......Page 132
Box 6.3 Environmental NGOs......Page 133
2.3 Public access to environmental information......Page 134
3.1 Environmental education......Page 135
3.2 Environmental awareness......Page 136
4. Environmental Conditions and Health Risks......Page 137
7. Sectoral Integration: Sustainable Forest Management......Page 140
Conclusions......Page 141
1. Broad Forest Policy Objectives......Page 142
Box 7.1 Key features of the Austrian forestry sector......Page 143
Table 7.1 Trade in timber and other wood products......Page 144
Figure 7.1 State of forest resources......Page 145
2. Forest Area and Resources......Page 146
3. Forest Quality Issues......Page 147
Box 7.2 The global and European processes......Page 148
4. Legal and Regulatory Framework......Page 149
Table 7.2 Private forest holdings and wooded area......Page 151
5.3 Financial assistance......Page 153
Table 7.3 Budgetary support under the forest subsidy programme......Page 154
8. International Commitments and Co-operation......Page 158
Conclusions......Page 159
1. Objectives......Page 160
Box 8.1 Trends in greenhouse gas emissions......Page 162
2.2 Present climate strategy......Page 163
Table 8.2 CO2 emissions from fuel combustion, by source and sector......Page 164
2.3 Future developments and assessment......Page 166
3.2 Transboundary river pollution......Page 167
Table 8.3 Progress and performance against international targets for reduction of acidifying emissions......Page 168
Box 8.2 International co-operation concerning the Danube......Page 169
4.1 Ozone-depleting substances......Page 171
4.2 Hazardous waste......Page 172
4.3 Hazardous chemicals......Page 173
4.5 Endangered species......Page 174
5.1 Official development assistance......Page 175
Table 8.4 Austrian international environmental development aid......Page 176
5.3 Export credits and credit guarantees......Page 177
References......Page 180
I.A Selected environmental data......Page 181
I.B Selected economic data......Page 183
I.C Selected social data......Page 185
II.A Selected multilateral agreements (worldwide)......Page 187
II.B Selected multilateral agreements (regional)......Page 191
Reference III. Abbreviations......Page 195
Reference IV. Physical Context......Page 197
Reference IV. Selected Environmental Events (1995-2002)......Page 199
Reference VI. Selected Environmental Web Sites......Page 205