Vienna (PK) – Parliament is facing an intense week of committees. Numerous expert committees meet for consultation. The commission of inquiry continues its investigations, a possible extension is possible until 9 December. National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka is in Brussels for an official visit. The President of the Federal Council, Korinna Schumann, receives the President of the Romanian Senate, Alina-Stefania Gorghiu. A delegation from the Austria-Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine Bilateral Parliamentary Group travels to Ukraine.
Sunday, December 4, 2022
National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka will stay in Brussels until December 5 for an official visit. Discussions are planned with, among others, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and the coordinator for combating anti-Semitism at the European Commission, Katharina von Schnurbein.
Monday, December 5, 2022
12:30 pm: Federal Council President Korinna Schumann welcomes Romanian Senate President Alina-Stefania Gorghiu to her office.
1pm: Members of the National Defense Committee meet Cypriot Defense Minister Charalambos Petrides for an exchange of views. (Epstein Palace)
2 pm: The EU subcommittee deals with the Commission’s proposed regulations on general product safety and the European area for health data. Furthermore, a communication from Brussels on a strategy to combat drugs is under discussion. (Library Courtyard, Bar 6)
Tuesday, December 6, 2022
11.00 am.: The Foreign Affairs Committee begins with a topical discussion with Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg. Also on the agenda are Austria’s three-year development policy program from 2022 to 2024, as well as demands from parliamentary groups on protests in Iran, the war in Ukraine, Turkey and development aid funds. (Hofburg, Great Redoutensaal)
11.00 am.: The Committee on Citizens’ Petitions and Initiatives addresses 40 citizen concerns. Among other things, it deals with noise protection, road construction projects, legal entitlement to childcare and care. (Hofburg, roof foyer)
1pm: On the agenda of the constitutional commission, in addition to the 2022 amendment to the service law, are the referendum for the resignation of the federal government and motions by the SPÖ and FPÖ for new elections. With the Voting Law Amendment Act 2023 put forward by the ÖVP and the Greens, the counting of mail-in votes is to be accelerated, among other things, and the special crown provisions in the foreigners law are to be extended again. (Hofburg Segment Arc, Location 7)
2 pm: The Consumer Defense Committee begins with a government proposal to create a specialized body to represent the interests of consumers and people with disabilities in normalization. Deputies also want to discuss a series of proposed resolutions. These are VKI financing, debt counseling centres, loans for the elderly, entitlement to basic services from energy providers and cheat packages. (Hofburg, Great Redoutensaal)
2 pm: In addition to government reports on COVID-19 relief, the environmental committee has a five-part initiative to ban the import of shark products and other demands from parliamentary groups, for example against the construction of small modular reactors in the Czech Republic , about the protests of climate activists and the introduction of a climate protection bill to the program. (Stubenring, Great State Hall)
3 o’clock in the afternoon.: The State Defense Committee is negotiating a more attractive federal army with the 2023 Act Amendment Act. The government’s bill provides for more financial incentives and simplifications when hiring personnel. (Hofburg Segment Arc, Location 7)
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
A delegation from the Austria-Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine Bilateral Parliamentary Group travels to Ukraine. Among other things, meetings are planned with the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk and with representatives of the Bilateral Parliamentary Group in the Verkhovna Rada.
10:00 am: The ÖVP corruption investigation committee continues its interviews with informants such as Lower Austria Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner and former finance minister Eduard Müller. The head of the Department of Communication and Service at the Ministry of Agriculture is also invited to this day. It is the last scheduled day of the commission of inquiry. Any extension is possible until December 9th. Information on media access is available on Parliament’s website. (Hofburg, Camineum)
10:30 am: The Presidential Conference sets the agenda for the next meetings of the National Council. You can find more information in the transmissions of the parliamentary correspondence “TOP im Nationalrat”.
11.00 am.: The Health Commission begins its meeting with a specialized public hearing on three popular petitions for mandatory vaccination. The hearings will be broadcast on the Parliament’s website media library. Next, changes in law to extend COVID-19 regulations and expand options for using electronic prescriptions will be discussed below. The opposition’s requests concern, for example, the lack of doctors in Austria, emergency services and food labelling. (Hofburg, Great Redoutensaal)
12:00: In addition to the Research and Technological Development Council 2021 activity report and the COVID-19 reports, there are calls for the right to a fast and stable internet for all, an open source and data strategy, and an increase in Austria’s contribution to the Program European Space Agency Committee on Research, Innovation and Digitization. (Hofburg, roof foyer)
2 pm: The Economy Committee also meets for a meeting. The MPs deal with the COVID-19 reports on the shortage fund, the Federal Competition Authority’s activities report for 2021 and the report on the temporary reduction of mandatory oil reserves. The legislative initiatives concern the right of the Minister of Finance to inspect E-Control and the advisory regulations on the Law on Subsidies to the Costs of Energy for Companies. The legislative amendments presented by the coalition in the Electricity Cost Subsidies Law known as Braking of Electricity Prices and in the Renewable Energy Expansion Law have so far included editorial adjustments. (Hofburg Segment Arc, Location 7)
2 pm: The cultural committee deals with the COVID-19 reports, a film funding amendment aimed at strengthening Austria as a film location, and demands related to cultural goods for young people, the future of the House of Austrian History and climate activists. (Hofburg, roof foyer)
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NOTE: Current dates can be found on Parliament’s online calendar. Media workers have general access to the Parliament Buildings in the Hofburg via the main entrance on Josefsplatz upon presentation of a press card or letter of credit from a media company and must register for films and photo shoots in advance at medienservice@ parliament .gv.at.
National Council and Federal Council meetings can also be followed via live transmission and are available as video on demand in the Parliament’s media library. Follow the Austrian Parliament on Facebook, twitter and Instagram or sign up for a free parliamentary correspondence email subscription.
Information on current COVID-19 access conditions is available on the Parliament website.