Municipal Department 27 - European Affairs (MA 27)

Contact (German)

Activity range

Municipal Department 27 (MA 27) is the European department of the City of Vienna. Organisationally, it is answerable to the Administrative Group – Finance, Business, Digital Innovation and International Affairs. It also comprises the Vienna Liaison Office in Brussels, international activities including Viennese balls, International Liaison Offices in eight cities of Central and South-eastern Europe, as well as development co-operation and humanitarian aid extended by the City of Vienna.

To begin with, the Department is chiefly tasked with monitoring, analysing and reporting on current developments in the areas specified below. In order to prepare decisions and initiate suitable measures, its work often extends to the EU level, hence involving the representation of Vienna, participation in national and European networks as well as lobbying activities.

Networking with other cities, regions and further players from the areas of politics, administration, NGOs, business, science and research et cetera is of key importance for the activities of MA 27.

The EU Funding Section participates in the development and negotiation of the legal foundations of these programmes and moreover administers the respective monies.

Thematic orientation

The key tasks of MA 27 are:

• general affairs relating to the EU
• EU-related co-ordination within the Vienna City Administration
• positioning of Vienna in Europe; management of the Vienna Liaison Office in Brussels
• services of general (economic) interest
• EU cohesion policy for Vienna and the CENTROPE Region
• promotion of international contacts through the support of Viennese balls
• exchange via International Liaison Offices in eight cities of Central and South-eastern Europe
• development co-operation and humanitarian aid

In the above areas, MA 27 posits itself as a central contact point in Vienna with a highly qualified staff. Due to the exacting standards of specialisation required by the individual areas of activity, particular importance is attached to expert training within MA 27.

Background

Austria's EU accession in 1995 also entailed a change in legislative and administrative framework conditions for Vienna. MA 27 aims to take account of these changed framework conditions. This is done by means of targeted collection and processing of information relating to key thematic areas as well as through lobbying to promote Vienna's interests vis-à-vis the competent decision-makers, above all of the European institutions.

With regard to policymaking, MA 27 prepares the sessions of the City Council Committee for European and International Affairs and, in particular, all opinions of the Federal Province of Vienna on subsidiarity issues.

At the economic level, the activities of MA 27 likewise contribute to the positioning of Vienna and the strengthening of its international visibility.

Objective

MA 27 aims to position Vienna - above all in Central and South-eastern Europe - with a view to the European unification process, but also wants to strengthen the international visibility of the Austrian capital.

Target groups

• Political and administrative decision-makers
  • of the City of Vienna
  • of the Federal Republic
  • of the EU (European Commission, European Parliament, Committee of the Regions et cetera)
  • at the economic level
    • of Europe
    • worldwide
• Population of Vienna and of the CENTROPE Region
  • NGOs (in the fields of development co-operation and humanitarian aid)

Networks

Networking with partners in Austria and at an international level provides an essential basis for the work of the Department. For this reason, MA 27 is represented in numerous networks within the context of the City of Vienna as well as nationally and internationally and maintains an intensive exchange of knowledge and experience.

Importance for Vienna

The expertise of MA 27 serves to identify, at an early date, such developments in the above-described areas as might impact Vienna, to prepare suitable positions for adoption by the Austrian capital and, if necessary, to highlight alternative options in order to counteract potential negative trends. In due course, this is followed by intensive lobbying to advance Vienna's interests at the European level.

International city surveys regularly place Vienna's performance at the top: in practically all rankings, Vienna occupies a leading or at least an excellent position. This satisfactory standing contributes significantly to ensuring the economic attractiveness of the Austrian capital in the international competition between locations.