Offer submitted by to host the European Banking Authority Content

I. Why ? 4 1.1. Vienna at the crossroad between east and west 4 1.2. Quality of life 6

II. Criteria 8 2.1. Criterion 1: The assurance that the agency can be set up on site and take up its functions at the date of the ’s withdrawal from the Union (adequate office logistics) 8 2.2. Criterion 2: The accessibility of the location 10 2.3. Criterion 3: The existence of adequate education facilities for the children of agency staff 13 2.4. Criterion 4: Appropriate access to the labour market, social security and medical care for both children and spouses 14 2.5. Criterion 5: Business continuity 17 2.6. Criterion 6: Geographical spread 19

III. Financial Terms 20

IV. Privileges and Immunities/Benefits to the Staff and Headquarters Agreement 21

V. Additional Information 22 5.1. Flight connections from/to Vienna Airport 22 5.2. Education 26 5.3. Language skills of medical doctors in Vienna 29 5.4. Vienna – an ICT hub 30 5.5. Data Centres in Vienna 31 5.6. Vienna – a dynamic business location 33

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – Content 2 Introduction

The Austrian Federal Government greatly values the key role of the European Banking Authority (EBA) in the European architecture for banking supervision and its responsibility for safeguarding the uniform application of banking legislation among Member States. It herewith submits its offer to host the EBA in Vienna after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union and to ensure a smooth and frictionless relocation of the EBA. Further, Austria submits its candidature for the relocation of the EMA to Vienna.

The Austrian Government strongly believes that Vienna combines all the relevant factors to become the future host location for the EBA. Vienna has been successful in attracting international organisations for decades, be it offices of the or the World Bank. While each of these has different remits and requirements, all of them profit not only from the excellent living standard and great working conditions in Vienna, but also from its exceptional situation in the midst of Europe – a bridge to the west, east and south.

Vienna is a crossroads, both geographically and in terms of the market, which would enable the Authority to further strengthen its important neutral coordinating role between euro area and non-euro area Member States. It is home to a financial sector that is highly integrated in euro area and non-euro area Member States as well as potential Member States in the vicinity of Austria. What might be difficult for others is business as usual for actors in Austria. Thus, amid the financial crisis, the Austrian authorities together with international institutions demonstrated how to assume responsibility towards markets that are closely tied to the Austrian market. The “Vienna Initiative” became the successful platform for the close cooperation of all the relevant actors to support financial market stability despite tremendous challenges.

These factors are highly relevant and represent added value for the EBA given its responsibility for securing the Internal Market in banking throughout the European Union.

Section I of this document focuses on only two of the manifold reasons why Vienna is the best future location for the EBA, namely its unique geographical, cultural and economic position and its excellent quality of living. Section II addresses the criteria agreed by the Heads of State or Government of 27 Member States on 22 June to enable an informed decision on the future seat of the agencies located in the UK. The financial terms of the offer are put forward in Section III. Section IV provides information on privileges and immunities and the Austrian Government’s commitment to signing a Headquarters Agreement with the EBA. Section V provides additional information that is complementary to Section II.

The Austrian Government has drafted this offer with a view to facilitating the evaluation by the European Commission and our partner countries. We would like to invite the European Commission and our partner countries to consider the arguments and facts set out in this document. The Austrian Government stands ready to answer any further questions on the offer at hand.

Contact: [email protected]

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – Introduction 3 I. Why Vienna?

1.1. Vienna at the crossroads between east and west

The responsibility of the EBA to safeguard the uniform application of banking legislation extends to Member States of the euro area and non-euro area Member States. Because of the financial interconnectedness of all the members of the European Union, it is essential for the Authority not to stop at currency frontiers when safeguarding the stability of the financial market via the integrity, efficiency and orderly functioning of the banking sector. The location of the Authority might be only one factor, but it is a highly relevant factor in further strengthening its important neutral coordinating role between euro area and non-euro area Member States.

Vienna is at the crossroads of euro area and non-euro area Member States, as well as Southeastern Europe (SEE) close to the EU or even potential Member States. This unique position should be a determining factor in the selection of the future seat of the EBA.

International hub for financial activities as well

Not only because of Austria’s geographical location, but also because of its strong historical and cultural ties with Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (CESEE), the bilateral links between Austria and the CESEE- region were intensified significantly after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Markets became highly interwoven, both commercially and financially. In the recent decades, Vienna has grown into an international hub for economic activities that span the CESEE region. In addition, Austria has become a gateway to the SEE countries.

This holds true for the financial sector as well: the financial institutions based in Vienna with cross- border engagements act as both home and host institutions. In particular four significant home institutions operate an active banking network in the CESEE region, two of which exclusively focus on this region. Austria is highly attractive as a host country as well: several large international financial institutions based in Austria are subsidiaries of foreign banks, and in particular of European banks.

Responsibility

The Vienna Initiative (VI) reaffirms the importance of Vienna as a financial sector hub for Central and Eastern Europe. Together with other relevant public and private sector stakeholders the Austrian authorities launched the VI at the height of the global financial and economic crisis in January 2009 – with the aim of safeguarding financial stability and strengthening the banking sector in the CESEE region. The VI successfully established a dialogue amongst the relevant public and private sector actors aiming at averting the threat of acute financial market instability in the region. Initially conceived as an emergency instrument, the VI has now assumed a permanent role in identifying and addressing challenges in the financial sector.

Training and research

In the early 1990s, after the fall of the Iron Curtain, Austrian authorities (Federal Ministry of Finance, Austrian National Bank) founded an outstanding international training institution together with the IMF and other international organisations: the Joint Vienna Institute (JVI). With the highest standard of training in economic and financial affairs, the JVI was a response to the rising need for specialized training in the CESEE region, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Since then, roughly 40,000 people have been trained, among them numerous and now often high-ranking officials of governments and central banks from these regions. Amongst others the subjects dealt with cover micro- and macro-prudential issues and overall financial sector stability, providing potential synergies with the EBA’s training programme.

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – I. Why Vienna? 4 In addition, the Austrian National Bank (Oesterreichische Nationalbank, OeNB) had already decided in the early 1990s to systematically use and increase its expertise in the CESEE region. Its research focuses on the whole of the CESEE region, covering EU Member States, EU candidate and potential candidate countries, as well as the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood countries. The OeNB has built up in-depth macro- financial research expertise on the CESEE region, highlighting the role of financial sector development and financial stability for transition and sustainable catching-up processes.

Finally, Vienna hosts the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW). This is one of the principal centres for research on Central, East and Southeastern Europe, with more than 40 years’ experience of providing in-depth insights into the economic developments of this region.

Advice/ World Bank

The World Bank Group Vienna Office also benefits from the proximity to its Central and Eastern European client countries. In particular, the Vienna Financial Sector Advisory Center (FinSAC) is a dedicated institution that provides both policy and technical advice and analytical services to countries in the Emerging Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region. FinSAC’s technical assistance mandate covers most of the areas regulated by the EBA, and includes assistance in integrating the acquis communautaire into the national law of EU candidate and potential candidate countries. With the EBA located in Vienna, the already excellent collaboration with the FinSAC in the area of banking supervision and resolution could be enhanced.

Further synergies could be achieved with the World Bank Centre for Financial Reporting Reform (CFRR), which supports countries in adopting high-quality financial reporting standards, including in the financial sector.

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – I. Why Vienna? 5 1.2. Quality of life

Vienna – the world’s best city to live in, according to Mercer

Mercer describes itself as “the leading provider of data on quality of living for organizations that need to move skilled professionals around the world. Ongoing research on the practicalities of daily life for these expatriate employees and their families forms the basis of our annual ranking of the quality of living in many prevalent assignment locations.”

The fact that Mercer named Vienna as the world’s top city for quality of life in 2017, for the eighth year in a row, speaks for itself. The ranking includes 231 major cities worldwide and takes into account criteria such as the political, social and economic climate, medical services, education and infrastructure facilities including public transportation, power and water utilities. It also considers leisure facilities such as restaurants, theatres, cinemas and sports facilities, the availability of consumer goods ranging from food to automobiles, and environmental factors including green space and air quality.

The combination of high political and social stability, low-cost living space, excellent infrastructure, an excellent cultural offering and the vast recreational areas shows the uniqueness of the city. Vienna is a remarkably safe city, ranked fifth in the world for “personal safety” in a 2016 report by Mercer.

In addition, it is exceptionally green, with half of the city’s total area covered by gardens, parks, woods and agricultural land; Vienna’s tap water is highest-quality mountain spring water. Vienna is also the only major capital with a significant winegrowing industry, with 660 hectares of vineyards.

The attractiveness of the city is mirrored in its multicultural makeup: today the Austrian capital is home to people from 200 different countries. Over 600,000 people with an international background live in Vienna. A walk through one of the capital’s markets such as the Naschmarkt immediately reveals this diversity.

Vienna – world capital of music

Every night around 10,000 music lovers are treated to live classical music – something no other city in the world can compete with. Each year the Vienna concert schedule includes more than 15,000 events of various sizes and genres, not only classical music. 450 balls provide around 2,000 hours of dancefloor magic every year, and the Life Ball AIDS charity event has shot to international fame.

No other city has been home to so many composers – Mozart, Mahler, Haydn, Beethoven and Johann Strauss, the king of the Viennese waltz, being a few of the best-known names.

Vienna – around 100 museums

Both classical and modern, contemporary art are presented by the various Viennese museums. Among the treasures that await are the world’s largest Bruegel collection and one of the most important chambers of arts and wonder (Kunstkammer) at the Vienna Museum of Art History. The Upper Belvedere is home to the world-famous painting “The Kiss” by Gustav Klimt. The Albertina offers one of the leading art collections worldwide, as well as breathtaking temporary exhibitions. The MuseumsQuartier – with an area of 60,000 m² – is one of the ten largest cultural complexes on the planet with a highly diverse schedule.

The European Commission’s latest Flash Eurobarometer on the Quality of Life in European Cities ranks Vienna first in terms of satisfaction with cultural facilities.

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – I. Why Vienna? 6 Vienna – an exceptional dining scene

Vienna offers a large choice of restaurants with a huge variety of dining choices. The scene is a lively mix of both highly traditional and trendy locations, of low-budget “Beisl” (taverns) and Heuriger (wine taverns on the city’s doorstep), and of food markets and luxurious gourmet temples. The Viennese cuisine is already “international” as it is influenced by the various neighboring countries, but offers also a “true” international cuisine mirroring the international makeup of the city.

Vienna – a green city

Besides the Vienna Woods, which form part of what is the only UNESCO-recognized biosphere reserve directly bordering a major metropolis worldwide, Vienna features several other large recreational areas. These include the Danube Island, the public park “Prater” and the Lobau National Park.

Vienna – a city of diversity

Vienna is an attractive destination for young people and families from all over the world thanks to its charming mixture of cultural offerings, exciting leisure activities and diverse recreation areas. Vienna is the new “home of choice” for people from all parts of the world, who enrich and influence the development of the city with their diverse cultural backgrounds. For centuries Vienna has been a melting pot of nations and a colourful mix of new and old, tolerant and multicultural.

The city’s open and creative atmosphere welcomes all those who want to realise their own personal living concept in Vienna.

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – I. Why Vienna? 7 II. Criteria

2.1. Criterion 1: The assurance that the agency can be set up on site and take up its functions at the date of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the Union (adequate office logistics)

The Austrian government guarantees a smooth and frictionless transition to the EBA’s new location and its functionality at the date of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. As mentioned under 2.5. Business Continuity, a Task Force will be established, i.a. to develop a detailed roadmap for the relocation to be agreed upon with the EBA’s services.

In order to identify the best premises for the EBA, the Austrian Government has conducted a survey of the Viennese commercial real estate market, focusing on projects fulfilling the criteria agreed by the Heads of State or Government of 27 Member States on 22 June and the factsheet provided by the EBA thereafter.

Based on these criteria, a number of potentially suitable properties were identified, and the Austrian Government narrowed down the choice to one building, particularly for the purpose of the offer at hand.

This building, offered by the Austrian Government for accommodating the EBA, is located at 216 Linke Wienzeile. It is currently being newly built, and will be available by 31 March 2019 at the latest. As it is a new building, the initial equipment fitted in the building can take account of the specific requirements and standards of the EBA. The details will need to be specified during the planning and implementation of the finishing works in close consultation with the EBA.

In this context, a corresponding passage will be included in the contract with the lessor of the building, a subsidiary of the Austrian Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft (BIG). The contract will also state all the possible measures for the optimum implementation of the EBA’s corporate design, both in the entrance area of the building and in the office and meeting rooms.

The EBA is invited to participate in the contract negotiations between the Austrian Government and the BIG so that it is able to actively contribute its wishes in respect of the layout of the office rooms.

The area offered for offices, meeting rooms, smaller areas for informal meetings and also for technical areas is around 4,300 m². Storage areas of around 800 m² are also offered. The total area available is thus 5,100 m², which will provide the EBA with relatively large and individually customisable premises. Account can therefore be taken of a possible increase in staff numbers through the greatest possible flexibility in the occupation of the office areas.

It goes without saying that the infrastructure of the building and office premises respectively, including in particular IT and telecommunications, will entirely correspond to state-of-the-art technology.

An appropriate standard of fittings will be provided, including double floors, air conditioning and background lighting.

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria 8 While data centres will continue to be provided by external providers (see attached list of potential providers in section 5.5.), the Bundesrechenzentrum (BRZ, Federal Computing Centre) will provide advice and support to identify viable solutions under the given time constraints.

Contact: [email protected]

The building offered is situated next to the underground line No. 4; as a result, the city centre can be reached in about 7 minutes and Wien Mitte railway station in about 16 minutes; regular trains run from here to Vienna International Airport, making the airport accessible by public transport in less than 40 minutes.

For details see section 2.2.

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria 9 2.2. Criterion 2: The accessibility of the location

Flight connections from and to Vienna International Airport (VIE)

In 2016 Vienna International Airport recorded 23.4 million passengers. A total of 74 airlines serve 196 destinations in 72 countries. Apart from Bratislava – a city that is served by bus, train or high-speed boat within a maximum of one hour – there are daily flight connections to all the capitals within the EU, Lisbon being the most distant with flights taking three and a half hours. Around 800 flights per week connect Vienna to the other EU capitals. With numerous direct flights, Vienna Airport is also a hub for the CESEE region.

Vienna thus offers the flight connections required for the around 700 missions organised by the EBA. In addition, the high number of flights to/from London (around 800 per week) will contribute to a smooth transition for the Authority’s staff.

For a list of flight connections please see section 5.1.

In its 2016 Airport Service Quality survey, the Airport Council International (ACI) ranked Vienna International Airport No. 1 in the category “Europe 15 to 25 million passengers”. VIE also received the “Beryll Award” for its commitment to barrier free accessibility.

Last but not least, Vienna International Airport ranks fifth among all European airports in terms of punctuality.

Public transportation connections from VIE airport to the location

From VIE the city centre can be reached by City Airport Train (CAT) within just 16 minutes (frequency: every 30 minutes; one-way ticket: EUR 11).

Furthermore, the OeBB (railway) connects the Airport to Vienna Main Station within 15 minutes and to the city centre (stop Wien Mitte) in 25 minutes (frequency: every 30 minutes; one-way ticket: EUR 3.90). Three bus lines connect the airport to various destinations within 22 – 45 minutes (frequency: every 30 minutes, one-way ticket: EUR 8).

Taxi and limousine services are readily available, some even with flat-rate fares of under EUR 30 per ride.

All means of public transport: www.wien.info/en/travel-info/to-and-around/ter

Rail connections

Major European trunk routes and interregional rail links pass through Vienna, among them three pan-European mainline rail routes. The new, ultra-modern Vienna Main Station (Hauptbahnhof) opened in December 2014 and is one of the most advanced hubs in the entire trans-European rail network. It is used by around 150,000 people and more than 1,000 trains each day. It is also served by an underground line, eight express train lines, two bus routes and three tram routes.

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria 10 Accommodation for delegates and experts

Vienna has a strong hotel industry and thriving young businesses providing accommodation. Visitors to Vienna have the pick of more than 33,500 hotel rooms in some 439 hotels and bed-and-breakfast providers, ranging from five-star superior hotels to budget accommodation. A further 9 hotels with 1,600 additional hotel rooms are scheduled to open by 2018.

Hotel capacities

***** 21 hotels 3,939 rooms

**** 164 hotels 15,793 rooms

*** 172 hotels 9,026 rooms

**/* 82 hotels 4,805 rooms

Total 439 hotels 33,563 rooms

With its capacity Vienna can easily host the participants of the approximately 300 EBA events with a total of around 9,200 participants per year, even in peak periods.

Conferences

Vienna offers diverse venues for outstanding conferences or other events also involving high numbers of participants; these include traditional venues such as the former seat of the Emperor – the – or modern conference facilities such as the Austria Center Vienna.

For more information: www.hofburg.com/en/about_us_/our_company www.acv.at/index.en.html

Getting around in Vienna

Public transport – Wiener Linien The latest Flash Eurobarometer on the Quality of Life in European Cities ranks Vienna first in terms of satisfaction with public transport.

Being a city of short distances, Vienna provides optimal infrastructure. Public transportation runs on time even in poor weather conditions. Wiener Linien is responsible for 5 underground (U-Bahn), 29 tram and 127 bus lines serving a total network of 850 km. The entire public transport network can be used for as little as EUR 1 per day with an annual pass.

The underground stops at 104 stations along 78.5 km of track. The system is well equipped for passengers with disabilities and special needs. On weekdays, the underground runs from around 5.00 am to around midnight, at 90 second intervals at peak times. On Fridays, Saturdays and on the days before public holidays, all lines operate for 24 hours.

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria 11 The late bus – the “Night Line” – consists of 26 night bus lines and operates daily from 00.30 am to 5.00 am at 30-minute intervals. At weekends the schedule is adapted to the continuous underground operation.

For more information: www.wienerlinien.at/eportal3/ep/tab.do?tabId=0

Citybike Vienna’s cycling infrastructure is internationally renowned for its high quality and attractiveness. The 1,300 km of cycle lanes (some of them in areas with hardly any traffic) are used intensively, including with public “citybikes” that can be rented at 121 stations – these are free for the first hour and EUR 1 cost for the second hour (deposit payable by credit card).

For more information: www.citybikewien.at/en/

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria 12 2.3. Criterion 3: The existence of adequate education facilities for the children of agency staff

Vienna can meet the needs for education facilities of the now 130 children of the current EBA staff. For the 39 children of pre-school age, 77 attending primary/secondary schools and 14 attending university, there is a large number of multilingual pre-school, school and student places available. These facilities and the plans to increase capacity further mean that future education needs will easily be met:

■ The nine international schools in Vienna have a total capacity of more than 6,000 places, of which currently more than 1,100 are available (French: 366, English: 740, Swedish: 16). ■ Vienna is also host to the first private Polish School in Austria and the Grammar School Komensky (bilingual Czech/German).

In addition, at least two international schools are developing plans to expand their capacity:

■ Brookes Educational Group, a Canadian education provider, has recently decided to establish a school in Vienna by 2019 that will offer an additional 500 places. ■ The Archdiocese of Vienna, the largest private provider of education at all age levels, intends to open a European School in Vienna by 2018 that will offer an additional 600 places. Provided that the EBA becomes established in Vienna, the Archdiocese of Vienna is ready to enter into a partnership with the EBA to establish this school as an Accredited European School.

Early childhood education

Vienna’s total childcare capacity for children aged 0-6 amounts to around 86,000 places. With regard to their opening hours and the number of days on which they are closed, 98 % meet the needs of parents in full-time employment. Foreign-language pre-schools are attached to a number of international schools; at the moment, at least around 130 places are available. In addition, some regular pre-schools offer bilingual education.

Primary and secondary education

The 700 public schools – among them 20 bilingual schools – are free of charge. Additionally a number of international schools offer international curricula (International Baccalaureate) and tuition in languages other than German. Some of them place a special focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as information technology and/or business-oriented or social science education.

Tertiary education

Vienna has 18 universities and universities of applied sciences and arts () offering the widest possible range of specialisations, including courses and master programmes in English. Three universities offer their services and classes completely in English. Vienna is home to 190,000 students.

For more details on education institutions see: section 5.2.

For more information on studies in English see: www.studienwahl.at/en

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria 13 2.4. Criterion 4: Appropriate access to the labour market, social security and medical care for both children and spouses

Expat Center – special service for the EBA’s staff and their families

The Expat Center Vienna is the first contact point for all the needs and questions an expatriate might have about living and working in Vienna. Staffed by a multilingual team of experts, the centre will provide information and guidance on a broad range of topics to the EBA and its staff. The team at the Expat Center provides cost-free, independent and unbiased advice and personal consulting on housing, education, leisure activities and the best networks to connect with in the city and amongst its people.

■ Information and service office in London: The Vienna Business Agency will open an information office for the EBA’s staff in London, ideally on-site in the current EBA building or as close by as possible. Depending on the exact time frame, this office will become operational between 6 and 12 months prior to the relocation of the majority of the staff members. Experienced consultants from the Expat Center Vienna will provide the same high standard of services as in Vienna. ■ Additional on-site support in Vienna: Once EBA staff members and their families have started arriving in Vienna, the Expat Center Vienna will open a temporary consulting facility exclusively for them on the site of the new EBA location in Vienna or close by. This will provide a conveniently accessible place for all new arrivals, where they can ask any questions about their settling-in process and adjusting to their new lives in the host-city. It can potentially also serve as a location for welcome seminars for small groups as well as other smaller social events.

Access to the labour market

The Austrian labour market has been very successful in providing jobs to foreigners from EU Member States. Employment growth has been dynamic over recent years, even in times of weaker economic growth. Since 2011, more than 200,000 jobs have been created, about 90 % of which were taken up by foreigners, half of these by EU citizens. The employment rate for EU citizens resident in Austria is comparable to that of native Austrians.

Austria is a particularly attractive place to work for citizens from the new EU Member States, due to its geographical proximity. There are currently about 370,000 employees from Member States that joined the EU 2004 or later. The country has also attracted about 150,000 employees from the EU-15, most of them Germans, who constitute the largest group of foreign employees in absolute terms.

Vienna hosts a number of international organisations such as the UN, OSCE and World Bank, which provide employment opportunities that do not require knowledge of the . The latter is also the case for a number of international companies headquartered in Vienna, many of whom are active in the new EU Member States and value experience and language skills from these countries.

From a legal perspective, EEA citizens and Swiss nationals benefit from thefreedom of establishment and freedom of movement for workers. Citizens from the EEA and Swiss nationals and their families are free to immigrate to any country of the European Union or the EEA. Workers from these countries therefore have free access to the labour market in Austria, and do not require any further authorisation to pursue employment.

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria 14 In addition, EU and Swiss citizens may reside in Austria for more than three months if

■ they are employed or self-employed in Austria ■ they have adequate means of subsistence to support themselves and their dependants, and have sufficient health insurance coverage for themselves and their family members ■ they attend an Austrian school or recognised education facility as the main purpose of their stay, and earn a secure living and have sufficient health insurance coverage.

For further information including on EEA and third country family members: www.migration.gv.at/en/

Customised support for spouses and partners of EBA employees

The Vienna branch of the Public Employment Service Austria (AMS) will roll out a programme exclusively focused on spouses and partners of EBA employees. This will include services aimed at rapid integration into the Austrian labour market by addressing issues such as:

■ evaluation and documentation of formal and informal competences ■ recognition of qualifications acquired abroad ■ comprehensive information about the Austrian professional landscape, e.g. wage levels or opportunities for promotion ■ professional orientation ■ individual and group training

Additional information workshops tailored to this specific target audience’s needs will be offered on the basis of the AMS’s regular services. Topics will include:

■ the Austrian education system ■ Austrian employment law ■ application documents ■ application training ■ the Austrian health system ■ social security

Access to social security/healthcare

The Headquarters Agreement may complement EU rules on the access to social security, subject to negotiations.

Generally health care in Austria is based on a social insurance model that guarantees equitable access to high-quality health services with 99.9 % of the population insured. This is also reflected in the high level of patient satisfaction and the lowest number of unmet needs in Europe. The latest Flash Eurobarometer on the Quality of Life in European Cities ranks Vienna third in terms of satisfaction with healthcare services, doctors and .

The system is characterised by unrestricted access to all levels of care, and particularly free choice of providers – also, of course, for EBA employees and their families. Those covered by private sickness insurance or by the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme of the European Communities may claim reimbursement of expenses from their insurer. In contrast to many other countries, there is no obligation in Austria to enrol with a specific physician or consult a physician prior to accessing specialised treatment in the outpatient or sector.

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria 15 This high degree of choice has led to a variety of innovative care models both in the private and the public sectors, and enables specialised care models for international citizens (e.g. for the staff of the United Nations in Vienna).

Health care in Vienna

Tertiary care Vienna has a total of 50 hospitals and some 14,800 beds.

■ Of the 32 hospitals that offer emergency treatment, 22 are general hospitals and 10 offer specialised care (such as paediatric hospitals, orthopaedic facilities and trauma centres). ■ Privately insured and self-paying patients also receive treatment in all emergency hospitals. They are permitted to freely choose their doctor in all hospitals, and higher standards are met with regard to accommodation and meals. ■ Internationally renowned hospitals are i.a. the Vienna General Hospital or the St. Anna children´s hospital with the Children´s Cancer Research Institute.

Primary and secondary care There is also a high number of contracted specialists working in the outpatient sector, ensuring timely and easily accessible care of the highest quality.

Medical practitioners in Vienna in the outpatient sector

Total (incl. dentists) 6,060

Medical practitioners 5,120

General practitioners 1,410

State-licensed physicians 20

Specialist physicians 3,690

Dentists 940

In addition, multi-professional primary care centres are established.

Finally, two thirds of medical doctors in Vienna speak either English or French and several hundred for example speak Italian as a foreign language (see section 5.3.).

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria 16 2.5. Criterion 5: Business continuity

The Austrian Government regards the relocation as a joint endeavour with shared responsibility, which must result in success. In terms of the timeframe to fulfil the 4 criteria above, the Austrian Government guarantees a smooth and frictionless transition to the EBA’s new location and its functionality at the date of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. A detailed roadmap with major milestones will be agreed with the EBA’s services. For this and other undertakings a special Task Force will be established.

Task Force

The Austrian Government will set up a Task Force to manage and assist the relocation process and serve as a single point of contact for the EBA. The Task Force will comprise representatives of all the state and City of Vienna authorities involved, as well as relevant stakeholders and contract partners. The EBA will be invited to participate in the Task Force. In addition Austrian supervisors who are familiar with the Authority, not least because of various secondments, are on hand and ready to advise. The Task Force will be formed immediately after the decision on the Authority’s future seat is taken and will address the following issues amongst others:

■ the relocation roadmap ■ the building ■ IT ■ the headquarters agreement ■ other legal matters ■ liaison with the authorities ■ services for expat staff

IT

Business continuity in information and communication systems will be paramount to maintaining business continuity. The Bundesrechenzentrum (BRZ, Federal Computing Centre) is ready to support the EBA in identifying the best solutions on the spot.

Where services are to be provided by commercial companies (see attached list of companies in section 5.5.), the BRZ will provide advice and support in identifying viable solutions under the given time constraints.

Contact: [email protected]

Qualified staff

Vienna is as attractive to highly skilled people from all over the world as it is to international organisations and international financial institutions. Consequently, a minimal staff turnover is to be expected as a result of the EBA’s transition.

In addition Vienna is home to both young and experienced personnel in financial and professional services (e.g. legal services, auditors, and consultancy) with expertise in local, regional and international banking, banking supervision and banking resolution. This is the result of several factors:

■ The attractiveness of Vienna and its outstanding quality of living. ■ An international community enjoys working and living in a prestigious city/in one of the many international organisations in Vienna (e.g. one of the four headquarters of the United Nations, World Bank Offices, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)).

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria 17 ■ Austrian Universities offering in-depth education e.g. in economics, finance, business administration or statistics have attracted people from many different European countries to live in Vienna. Institutions such as the , the Vienna University of Economics and Business, the Vienna Graduate School of Finance or the Institute for Advanced Studies offer high-quality financial education. For details see section 5.2. ■ The Austrian institutions involved in banking supervision have actively promoted and undertaken secondments of qualified staff to the EBA from the very beginning. Thus the staff of these institutions are familiar with the EBA, its processes and contents, and also its needs.

Housing

In order to guarantee business continuity, housing for the EBA’s staff is a highly relevant factor.

Vienna is a fast-growing city of 1.9 million inhabitants and will pass the two million mark in the coming years. As a result, the city is currently experiencing a major boom in infrastructure spending, urban expansion and real estate development.

An essential aspect of the high quality of life in Vienna is its well-established and versatile selection of housing space. Extensive residential areas of upmarket detached houses on the outskirts – close to the Vienna Woods but still within a short tram ride of the city centre – are popular with the diplomatic community.

Those who prefer urban areas are typically drawn to the bustling quarters bordering Vienna’s first district and their eclectic range of gastronomic and cultural attractions, as well as their historic building structure. However, newcomers to the city can of course also find any other type of housing, ranging from the glamorous to the unusual.

With the vast choice of recreational areas in and around Vienna (Vienna Woods, Danube Island, Prater, Lobau National Park etc.), no matter which district people settle in, they will always be able to enjoy a walk or do their work-outs in the natural surroundings close by.

Affordable housing is a key comparative advantage of Vienna. Against international benchmarks, rents in Vienna are typically about one quarter to one third below the level of other major European cities. To provide a telling example: according to UBS Prices and Earnings, the rental price for an unfurnished, four-room upmarket apartment in Vienna is just over one third of the price of a similar one in London. The average net price for rented apartments in urban residential areas is around EUR 10-13 per square metre.

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria 18 2.6. Criterion 6: Geographical spread

Austria is proud to be host to one European Union Agency – the Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). FRA is considered particularly important, but with around 100 employees it is one of the rather small agencies.

In terms of the geographical spread of agencies, taking account of bodies and Institutions of the European Union, over time a geographical concentration has come about in the western and southern regions. This mix is also evident when analyzing the distribution of staff members.

As already pointed out before, Vienna is at the crossroads between east and west, and west and south, and therefore uniquely placed to act as the new location for the EBA – not least in geographical terms (see also section 1.1.).

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria 19 III. Financial Terms

The Austrian Government will rent the building from a subsidiary of the Austrian Bundes- immobiliengesellschaft (BIG) under market conditions. The EBA will be granted use of the building by means of a separate contract. As already stated in section 2.1., the property is a new build project, which will be available by 31 March 2019 at the latest.

The EBA will have sole use of all areas of the building for 25 years without rental costs being charged.

Other costs incurred in connection with the use, in particular running costs and charges, pro rata costs for extraordinary expenses of the BIG's subsidiary and costs for other services provided by the BIG's subsidiary over and above the rent-free use of the premises, will be borne by the EBA. The EBA will also have to assume other use-related costs, such as telephone charges. The maintenance of the building being offered and the warranty management will be undertaken by the BIG's subsidiary.

The costs of the necessary facilities until the handover of the building by 31 March 2019 at the latest, including for the IT cabling and furniture on the basis of the agreed occupancy plans, will be assumed by the Austrian Government. The costs of later upgrading, alterations and other adaptations will be borne by the EBA.

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – III. Financial Terms 20 IV. Privileges and Immunities/ Benefits to the Staff and Headquarters Agreement

Austria is committed to concluding a Headquarters Agreement with the EBA confirming the conditions set out in the criteria. Provided that negotiations start without delay once the relocation decision has been taken, the Agreement can be expected to come into force prior to the EBA going operational in Vienna.

Protocol No. 7 on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Union and the Modalities of Application of the Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Communities between the Austrian Federal Government and the Commission of the European Communities would be applicable to the EBA and its staff members. Amongst other things these instruments grant exemption from direct taxes and inviolability of the seat of the EBA, functional immunity and privileges for its staff, including exemption from income tax on pensions paid by the EU and exemption from indirect taxes (value-added tax and excise tax) for goods and services for invoice amounts exceeding EUR 73.

The Headquarters Agreement would complement these privileges and immunities based on negotiations with the EBA. As an example, among others aspects the Headquarters Agreement between the Republic of Austria and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights provides for the freedom to acquire immovable property under the same conditions as Austrian nationals, the right to import one motor vehicle every four years for personal use free of duty, the right to participate in all branches of the social insurance and unemployment insurance systems, and access to the UN Commissary for staff, as well as diplomatic privileges and immunities for senior staff members.

Headquarters Agreement between the Republic of Austria and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights: www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2011_III_10/COO_2026_100_2_648378.pdf

Support by the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs

At the national level, experienced staff of the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs and other parts of the central administration provide efficient support to the international organisations and their staff with regard to issues of security, respect for diplomatic immunity and the handling of administrative and protocol issues.

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – IV. Privileges and Immunities 21 V. Additional Information

5.1. Flight connections from/to Vienna Airport

I. EU Capitals

Destination Frequency Flights/week Airline

Amsterdam Daily 61 KLM, Austrian, EasyJet

Athens Daily 18 Austrian, Aegean

Berlin Daily 85 Austrian, , EasyJet

Bratislava No flight connections due Bus: Eurolines, Flixbus; Rail: ÖBB; Speed boat: to geographical proximity, Twin City Liner large range of bus, train and speedboat connections

Brussels Daily 50 Austrian, Brussels Airline

Bucharest Daily 45 Austrian, Tarom

Budapest Daily 21 Austrian

Copenhagen Daily 32 Austrian, SAS

Dublin Daily 7 Aer Lingus

Helsinki Daily 14 Finnair

Lisbon Daily 14 TAP Portugal

Ljubljana Daily 14 Adria Airways

London Daily 89 Austrian, British Airways, EasyJet, , Flybe

Luxembourg Daily 20 Luxair

Madrid Daily 21 Iberia, Eurowings

Malta Daily 11 Europwings, Air Malta

Paris Daily 57 Austrian, Air , Vueling, Transavia France

Prague Daily 34 Austrian, CSA, Tunisair

Riga Daily 12 Air Baltic

Rom Daily 21 Eurowings, Vueling

Sofia Daily 34 Austrian, Bulgaria Air

Stockholm Daily 27 Austrian

Tallinn Daily except Saturday 9 Lot Polish Airlines, Air Baltic

Vilnius Daily 7 Austrian

Warsaw Daily 35 Austrian, Lot Polish Airlines

Zagreb Daily 31 Austrian, Airlines

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information 22 II. Other European Capitals

Destination Frequency Flights/week Airline

Ankara Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat, Sun 11 Austrian, Pegasus Airlines, Turkish Air, Sunexpress

Belgrade Daily 33 Austrian, Air Serbia

Berne Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sun 4 Skywork Airline

Chisinau Daily 13 Austrian, Air Moldova

Kiev Daily 27 Austrian, Ukraine International Airlines

Malta Daily 11 Eurowings, Air Malta

Minsk Daily 14 Austrian

Moscow Daily 49 Austrian, S7 Airlines, Aeroflot

Oslo Daily 17 Austrian, Norwegian

Podgorica Daily 12 Austrian, Montenegro Airlines

Pristina Daily 12 Austrian

Reykjavik Tues, Fri, Sun 4 Austrian, Niki

Sarajevo Daily 14 Austrian

Skopje Daily 13 Austrian

Tbilisi Thurs, Sun 2 Georgian Airways

Tirana Daily 14 Austrian

Yerevan Daily 7 Austrian

III. Other European cities

Destination Frequency Flights/week Airline

Altenrhein Daily except Saturday 23 Peoples Viennaline

Barcelona Daily 24 Eurowings, Vueling, Air China

Basel Daily 12 Austrian

Birmingham Daily except Saturday 6 Eurowings

Bologna Daily 19 Austrian

Bordeaux Mon, Fri 2 ASL Airlines France

Bristol Mon, Fri 2 EasyJet

Cologne Daily 32 Austrian, , Eurowings

Dnipro Daily 8 Austrian

Dubrovnik Daily 10 Austrian

Dusseldorf Daily 82 Austrian, Airberlin, Germanwings, Eurowings

Edinburgh Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat 5 EasyJet, Jet2.Com

Florence Daily 7 Austrian

Frankfurt Daily 90 Austrian,

Geneva Daily 33 Austrian, EasyJet

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information 23 Destination Frequency Flights/week Airline

Iasi Daily 7 Austrian

Innsbruck Daily 31 Austrian

Istanbul Daily 48 Turkish Airlines, Pegasus

Kaunas Daily 7 Austrian

Kiev Daily 27 Austrian, Ukraine International

Kosice Daily 12 Austrian

Krakow Daily 14 Austrian

Krasnodar Daily 7 Austrian

Larnaca Daily 16 Austrian, Niki

Leipzig Daily except Saturday 11 Austrian

Lviv Daily 10 Austrian

Lyon Daily 15 Austrian, EasyJet

Manchester Daily 10 Austrian, EasyJet

Milan Daily 37 Austrian

Munich Daily 56 Austrian, Lufthansa

Naples Daily 13 Austrian, EasyJet

Nice Daily 26 Austrian, Eurowings

Nuremberg Daily except Saturday 11 Eurowings

Odessa Daily 10 Austrian

Rotterdam Daily except Saturday 7 Transavia Airlines

Salzburg Daily 23 Austrian, Niki

Sibiu Daily 7 Austrian

Split Daily 11 Austrian, Croatia Airlines

St.Petersburg Daily 14 Austrian, Rossiya Russian Airlines

Stuttgart Daily 47 Austrian, German Wings, Eurowings

Varna Daily 7 Austrian

Venice Daily 21 Austrian

Zurich Daily 77 Austrian, Swiss

Gothenburg Mon, Wed, Fri 3 Austrian

Graz Daily 27 Austrian

Hamburg Daily 46 Austrian, Germanwings, Eurowings

Hannover Daily 18 Germanwings, Eurowings

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information 24 IV. Intercontinental Destinations

Destination Frequency Flights/week Airline

Addis Ababa Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat 4 Ethiopian Airlines

Algiers Wed, Sat 2 Air Algerie

Amman Daily 12 Austrian, Royal Jordanian

Bangkok Daily 12 Austrian, Eva Air

Beijing Daily except Tuesday 9 Austrian, Air China

Cairo Daily 19 Austrian, Egyptair

Chicago Daily 7 Austrian

Delhi Wed, Fri, Sun 3 Air India

Doha Daily 12 Qatar Airways

Dubai Daily 14 Emirates

Erbil Daily 7 Austrian

Hongkong Daily except Friday 6 Austrian

Isfahan Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun 8 Austrian

Kuwait Tues, Thurs, Sun 3 Kuwait Airways

Los Angeles Daily except Sunday 6 Austrian

Marrakech Wed, Sat, Sun 3 Austrian

Miami Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun 5 Austrian

New York Daily except Wednesday 7 Austrian

Newark Daily 7 Austrian

Seoul Daily except Tuesday 6 Korean Air

Shanghai Daily 7 Austrian

Shiraz Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun 4 Austrian

Taipei Daily except Monday 8 China Airlines, Eva Air

Teheran Daily 15 Austrian, Iran Air

Tel Aviv Daily 28 Austrian, El Al

Toronto Daily except Wednesday 6 Austrian

Tunis Tues, Thurs, Sun 5 Tunisair

Washington Daily 7 Austrian

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information 25 5.2. Education

Children of current EBA staff by age/level of education

Age Level of education No of children

0-3/3-5 Pre-kindergarten/Pre-school/kindergarten 39

5-11/11-18 Primary and secondary education 77

+18 Tertiary education/university 14

Total 130

Capacity and availability in Vienna’s international schools (2017/2018)

Capacity Available

VIS – Vienna International School 1,615 176 16 pre-kindergarten 8 kindergarten 48 primary 104 secondary

AIS – American International School 846 70 39 secondary 19 primary 3 kindergarten 9 pre-kindergarten

DIS – Danube International School 821 350 38 kindergarten 15 pre-kindergarten 122 primary 175 secondary

Lycée Francais de Vienne 1,830 366

Amadeus International School of Vienna 570 94 26 primary 14 pre-kindergarten 54 secondary

International Christian School 280 40

Vienna Elementary School 146

Swedish School/Svenska Skolan 56 16

Total 6,164 1,112

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information 26 Bilingual day care centres and kindergartens

The Children’s House – Vienna Montessori Kindergarten: www.montessori-vienna.at Privatkindergarten Schmetterling: www.schmetterling.at Arche Noah: www.archenoah.vienna.at Kinderoase Weimar: www.kinderoase-weimar.at United Children: www.unitedchildren.at

English-language day care centres and kindergartens

American International School: www.ais.at Danube International School: www.danubeschool.com International Montessori Preschool: www.montessori-preschool-vienna.com International Private Children House: www.privat-kindergarten.com Vienna English Preschool: www.viennaenglishpreschool.com Vienna International School: www.vis.ac.at

International Schools

VIS – Vienna International School: www.vis.ac.at AIS – American International School: www.ais.at DIS – Danube International School: www.danubeschool.com International School of Vienna: www.amadeus-vienna.com International Christian School of Vienna: www.icsv.at Vienna Elementary School: www.ves.at Mayflower Christian Academy (MCA):www.mayflower-christian-academy.at Lycée Français de Vienne: www.lyceefrancais.at Swedish School of Vienna: www.svenskaskolan.at

Further schools of interest

Grammar School Komensky (bilingual Czech/German): www.orgkomensky.at First private Polish school in Austria: www.uczymypolskiego.at

Public universities, courses and Masters programmes partly in English

Vienna University: www.univie.ac.at Technical University of Vienna: www.tuwien.ac.at University of Economics and Business: www.wu.ac.at Medical University of Vienna: www.meduniwien.ac.at University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna: www.vetmeduni.ac.at University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences: www.boku.ac.at University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna: www.mdw.ac.at University of Applied Arts: www.dieangewandte.at Academy of Fine Art in Vienna: www.akbild.ac.at

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information 27 Universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschule) and private universities, courses and Masters programmes partly in English

Fachhochschule des bfi Wien: www.fh-vie.ac.at Fachhochschule Campus Wien: www.fh-campuswien.ac.at Fachhochschule Technikum Wien: www.technikum-wien.at Fachhochschule der WKW: www.fh-wien.ac.at University Vienna: www.sfu.ac.at Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna: www.muk.ac.at

Private universities and university of applied sciences, English

Webster University: www.webster.ac.at Modul University: www.modul.ac.at Lauder Business School: www.lbs.ac.at

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information 28 5.3. Language skills of medical doctors in Vienna

Foreign language by number of Number Foreign language by number of Number doctors in Vienna doctors in Vienna English 3,136 Farsi 26

French 943 Portuguese 19

Italian 448 Swedish 18

Spanish 331 Dutch 15

Russian 229 Chinese 13

Hungarian 174 Kurdish 13

Croatian 147 Armenian 12

Turkish 107 Hebrew 11

Polish 95 Albanian 10

Persian 92 Danish 9

Serbian 88 Slovenian 8

Arabic 75 Japanese 7

Serbo-Croatian 67 Norwegian 7

Bosnian 59 Ukrainian 6

Czech 45 Korean 5

Romanian 44 Hindi 6

Greek 32 Georgian 1

Slovak 30 Urdu 1

Bulgarian 26

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information 29 5.4. Vienna – an ICT hub

In recent years, Vienna has become an IT network hub. Based on the desire to play a pioneering role in the 21st century communication society too, a thriving ICT scene developed in Austria – and particularly in Vienna – at an early stage.

The Austrian Government’s ambitious objectives – such as introducing e-government, pioneering the 5G mobile network, embracing e-health or providing test areas for autonomous driving – offer fertile ground for information and network technology experts.

More than 12,000 IT companies are located in Vienna. Over 80 % of Viennese households have a broadband Internet connection, which shows how quickly the networking of households has caught on and how well accepted new media and internet technology are.

Vienna is well equipped to serve as an ICT hub in the future thanks particularly to a large number of IT experts, an excellent infrastructure that includes several data centres which satisfy the Tier 3 and Tier 4 standards and hold ISO-9001, ISO-27001 or ISO-22301 security certifications, as well as important Internet exchanges such as InterXion Vienna (VIX2) or the University of Vienna (VIX1) (see list in section 5.5.).

The preeminent research and training facility for computer science and business information systems, the technical university “TU Wien”, focusses on research in logic and computation, media informatics and visual computing, distributed and parallel systems, computer engineering and business informatics. The TU’s computer science department trains 500 new IT experts each year.

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information 30 5.5. Data Centres in Vienna

Interxion Österreich Louis-Häfliger-Gasse 10, Objekt 50, A-1210 Vienna www.interxion.com/Locations/vienna/ e-shelter Austria GmbH. Computerstraße 4, A-1100 Vienna www.e-shelter.de/de/location/datacenter-wien

Raiffeisen Informatik GmbH Lilienbrunngasse 7-9, A-1020 Vienna www.raiffeiseninformatik.at/data-center/Vienna Internet Exchange (VIX):

Universität Wien Zentraler Informatikdienst ACOnet/ VIX Universitätsstraße 7, A-1010 Vienna www.vix.at/vixhome.html

Microsoft Österreich GmbH Am Euro Platz 3, A-1120 Vienna www.microsoft.com/de-at/

Huemer Data Center Ges.m.b.H. Saturn Tower, 12. Stock Leonard-Bernstein-Straße 10, A-1220 Vienna www.huemer-dc.com/

DATASIX Rechenzentrumsbetriebs GmbH Hofmühlgasse 3-5, A-1060 Vienna www.datasix.at/de/

Axians ICT Austria Guglgasse 15, A-1110 Vienna www.axians.at

Next layer Telekommunikationsdienstleistungs- und Beratungs GmbH. Mariahilfer Gürtel 37/7, A-1150 Vienna www.nextlayer.at/de/leistungen/datacenter/

Nessus GmbH. Fernkorngasse 10/3/501, A-1100 Vienna www.nessus.at/rechenzentrum/

Bundesrechenzentrum GmbH Hintere Zollamtsstraße 4, A-1030 Vienna www.brz.gv.at/

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information 31 T-Systems Austria GesmbH Rennweg 97-99, A-1030 Vienna www.t-systems.com/at/de

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Österreich Siemensstraße 90, A-1210 Vienna www.siemens.com/at/de/home.html

Kapsch BusinessCom AG Wienerbergstraße 53, A-1120 Vienna www.kapsch.net/kbc

WienIT EDV Dienstleistungsgesellschaft mbH & Co KG Thomas-Klestil-Platz 6, A-1030 Vienna www.wienit.at

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information 32 5.6. Vienna – a dynamic business location

Vienna has a lot to offer, especially as a location for foreign companies interested in relocating to this capital in the heart of Europe. It is one of the five most prosperous regions in the European Union and enjoys an excellent international reputation. Along with political stability, security and transparent laws, this makes Vienna the preferred hub for international companies that have a permanent need for multilingual, well- educated employees.

As a thriving city and the second-largest German-speaking city after Berlin, Vienna is marked by rapid population and economic growth. Vienna is an economic hub in the centre of Europe, with 220 corporations maintaining regional headquarters in the city.

The intercultural understanding that has grown over time and the many years of international cooperation make the city an ideal hub between east and west. Vienna is a centre of international trade at the crossroads of Europe, with more than 130,000 companies.

FDI and services

Vienna is also an investment hotspot for foreign companies. The investment-friendly climate makes Vienna a good location for innovation and successful investments. The total volume of direct investment by foreign companies is more than EUR 90 bn. The main investors come from , and the .

One strength of Vienna’s economy is the strong focus on services. Service providers account for more than 85 % of Vienna’s total economic output of EUR 84 bn. Viennese service providers such as banks, law firms, IT and real estate companies offer a historically matured understanding of foreign cultures. All these service providers act reliably, internationally and in coordination with strong companies in the areas of transportation, telecommunications, information technology, or research and development (R&D). They contribute to service exports totalling EUR 13 bn.

Pool of highly skilled workers

Vienna is a city of science – this is reflected in the fact that it is home to the largest university in German- speaking Europe. Every year around 20,000 people graduate from Vienna’s universities and 3,700 from universities of applied science. More than 50 % of them complete a degree in technology, business or science.

The Vienna Chamber of Commerce and Industry – the one-stop-shop on the way to Vienna

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry is the one-stop-shop for all companies located in Vienna, as well as for companies considering moving to the city. It offers guidance on all economic activities and entrepreneurial matters – from labour law and tax law to tariff information. Of course, the Vienna Chamber of Commerce and Industry also offers this unique service to foreign companies coming to Vienna.

The experts of the Vienna Chamber provide professional counselling and multilingual services, all free of charge. What’s more, they can highlight opportunities to make full use of networks in politics, industry and educational facilities, and will help recruit the best employees for local business.

Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information 33 Imprint

Editor, owner, publisher and responsible for the contents: Federal Ministry of Finance Johannesgasse 5, 1010 Vienna Graphics: Inga Seidl Werbeagentur Photography: Adobe Stock, Colourbox, Studio Huger Print: Printing office of Federal Ministry of Finance Vienna, July 2017 www.bmf.gv.at