Austria

This information will be updated periodically but it also includes some materials, for example the dual circulation periods, which are no longer relevant but have been retained for reference purposes. The date that this information was last updated is at the bottom of the page.

Austrian Government euro web site:
www.euro.gv.at (GER)

Pricing

Banking

Business Preparations

Accounting

Public Sector

General Public

Information Activities

Other Links and Sources

Pricing

The Austrian government legislated to make dual pricing compulsory between 1 October 2001 and 28 February 2002 for most companies. Some companies are continuing to dual price their goods and services.

Consumer Prices
The following table shows the annual percentage change on the same month in the previous year.

Banking

National currency was exchangeable for euro at retail banks until 28 February 2002. Austrian schillings can now be exchanged for euros at national bank branches indefinitely;

Central bank at:
www.oenb.co.at (EN available).

Business Preparations

The percentage of SMEs who had changed over to euro on 1 January 2002 for:

	accounting systems	98 per cent
	prices	99 per cent
	invoicing	99 per cent
	computer systems and IT	95 per cent

Overall SMEs considered that the changeover to the euro:

	had been easier or much easier than they planned	34 per cent
	proceeded as they planned	60 per cent
	had been more difficult than expected	5 per cent

19 per cent of SME's had encountered practical difficulties when changing over to the euro.

When converting prices from national currency to the euro the percentage of SMEs who had:

	converted prices some upwards and some downwards	15 per cent
	converted prices on a neutral basis	69 per cent
	converted prices upwards	4 per cent
	converted prices downwards	11 per cent

EB Eurobarometer Survey EB122

Accounting

Companies' bookkeeping had to be be fully converted to euro by 28 February 2002. CBWS

Public sector

Legislation: Eurogesetz covers dual currency period, dual pricing in the Euro-Justiz-Begleitgesetz. A law adopted before the summer dealt with all remaining issues. Conversion of amounts in tax provisions covered in Euro-Stueurumstellungsgesetz - all conversions to be either neutral or to the taxpayers benefit.

ECSR

General Public

Levels of euro awareness (Barometer Survey May 2002).

	78 per cent felt that the introduction of the euro went well or fairly well.
	86 per cent felt that the changeover to the euro went without any difficulties or with some temporary difficulties for them personally and 79 per cent for everyone.
	57 per cent said that they found it easy to remember prices in euro, 61 per cent compare prices in euro and 70 per cent to understand bills in euro.
	74 per cent thought that dual pricing of goods was essential or fairly useful.
	For dual pricing in shops:

	- 35 per cent thought it was no longer useful
	- 40 per cent for three to six months
	- 17 per cent for more than six months

	22 per cent thought that prices when converted to euro had either not been rounded or had been rounded down.
	When asked which organisations had helped the most.
	35 per cent thought the media
	23 per cent thought shops and other retailers
	41 per cent thought the banks
	12 per cent thought consumer or other representative groups
	29 per cent thought family and friends

Information Activities

Face to face communication through the use of the "euro train"; prime time t.v adverts providing general information and details of national currency withdrawal campaign, targeted leaflets and brochures for each group and on 17 October 2001 live t.v discussion of the euro with finance Minister, Governor of the national bank and banking and retail representatives.

Other Links and Sources

European Commission:
www.europa.eu.int/index_en.htm (all EU languages for most documents)

European Central Bank:
www.ecb.int (All EU languages for most documents)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Embassy site:
www.britishembassy.at

For information for travellers, including business travellers, click here to see the joint FCO/HMT/DTI Government leaflet "Euro notes and coins and how they will affect you" on this site.

Sources:

ECSR European Commission Second Report: 10 October 2001
Second report on the preparations for the introduction of euro notes and coins
CBWS Central Bank website
www.oenb.co.at (EN available).
EB Eurobarometer survey E121 January 2002
http://europa.eu.int/euro/html/dossiers/00716/00716-en.pdf
HICP. Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices. Eurostat February 2002.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/
EB Special Eurobarometer 171- May 2002 http://europa.eu.int/comm/public_opinion/archives/eb/ebs_171_tables_en.pdf