“Successful story”: That is how Doris Hummer, President of the Higher Austrian Chamber of Commerce, describes globalization and the European Union. Austria’s export quantity has elevated greater than fivefold to 53 billion euros since 1995.
Higher Austria particularly owes a whole lot of prosperity to the Union, mentioned Hummer. 71 p.c of home items exports go to different EU international locations; they make up virtually half of Higher Austria’s gross home product.
Lack of competitiveness
Previously ten years, nonetheless, the Union’s financial success story has suffered a success: the EU has misplaced financial energy in comparison with the USA and China and has fallen behind China. The trigger is the lack of competitiveness – for instance resulting from excessive vitality costs and unit labor prices in addition to a decline in investments.
Earlier than the upcoming elections to the European Parliament, Hummer, along with Chamber Director Gerald Silberhumer, put ahead calls for for the longer term financial coverage of the Union. The enlargement of transnational infrastructure is required – such because the motorway connection from the Mühlviertel to Prague.
Forms and the Danish mannequin
As well as, new free commerce agreements needs to be concluded and paperwork diminished. The availability chain regulation was cited as a unfavourable instance: Right here, the duty of states, for instance relating to compliance with human rights, could be handed on to corporations.
The Austrian financial location would additionally weaken inside the EU. A job mannequin for Hummer is Denmark: The Nordic nation has a extra cellular labor market than Austria and would implement its improvements higher economically.
Writer
Verena Mitterlechner
Verena Mitterlechner
