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AUSTRIA
Bundesrat
Parliamentary bodies dealing with international trade :
Economic Affairs Committee

Type of parliamentary body Multifunctional
Nature Permanent
Related to chambers Bundesrat
Date of creation March 2009
Last renewal date
Mandate The Committee is responsible for preliminary deliberation of bills concerning Austria as a business and industrial location. This comprises competition rules, industry, commerce and trade as well as certain energy-related topics. The following items of business are dealt with: Federal Government bills, private members' bills, popular initiatives or Federal Council bills. The bills are referred to the Committee by the President of the Federal Council.
Membership The parliamentary groups convey the names of members and substitutes to the President of the Federal Council, which are thereafter considered to be elected. As of April 2014 the Committee has 14 members.
Working methods The Chairperson decides on the agenda, convenes committee meetings, opening and closing them. Committees are deemed to have a quorum if more than half of their members are present. Such a quorum is only required for votes and elections. At the beginning of deliberations on an item of business the committee elects a rapporteur, on whose proposal the item of business may be discussed in its entirety or in part or during separate general and special debates. The committee Chairperson recognizes the members who have asked for the floor in the order in which they made their request. Unless expressly decided otherwise, all committee decisions are taken with a majority of the members present. The members of the federal government and the State secretaries have the right to participate in all of the proceedings of the committees. The committees may also require the presence of members of the federal government at their deliberations. Although the committee sessions are not generally open to the public, there are exception in several special instances. The reports of the committee’s sessions are made public.
Relations with other parliamentary bodies There is only an informal exchange of information between the members of the committees (because members of the respective committees are also members of other committees). A bill can be referred to another committee.
Relations with external bodies Members of the Federal Government (ministers), their representatives or other experts may be summoned by the Committee to provide information orally or in writing. NGO representatives are usually not allowed to attend sessions, unless they are summoned as experts by the Committee. NGOs may also express their opinion by submitting written statements on bills.
Subjects dealt with Economic policy and economic outlook of the European Union; amendments of trade regulations aiming at facilitation of starting and transferring an enterprise; reports of the energy regulatory authority E-Control Austria, amendments of Austrian legislation with regard to EU-legislation in the field of wholesale energy market integrity and transparency and industry emissions.
CONTACT INFORMATION
PRESIDING OFFICER(S)
Name Ms. Sonja Zwazl
Notes Chairwoman, Economic Affairs Committee
Address (if different from above) Parliament, 1017 Vienna
Phone
Fax
E-mail
Website http://www.parlament.gv.at/PAKT/VHG/BR/A-WR-BR/A-WR-BR_00001_00312/index.shtml
SECRETARY
Name Mr. Philipp Neuhauser
Notes Clerk of the Committee
Address (if different from above) Parliament, 1017 Vienna
Phone + 43 1 40110 2747
Fax + 43 1 40110 2624
E-mail philipp.neuhauser@parlament.gv.at
web site:
Notes

Information on this page was last updated on 6 June 2014
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