ContentI. Why Vienna? 4
1.1. Vienna at the crossroad between east and west 41.2. Quality of life 6
II. Criteria 82.1. 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) 8
2.2. Criterion 2: The accessibility of the location 102.3. Criterion 3: The existence of adequate education facilities for the children of agency staff 132.4. Criterion 4: Appropriate access to the labour market, social security and
medical care for both children and spouses 142.5. Criterion 5: Business continuity 172.6. Criterion 6: Geographical spread 19
III. Financial Terms 20
IV. PrivilegesandImmunities/BenefitstotheStaffandHeadquartersAgreement 21
V. AdditionalInformation 225.1. Flight connections from/to Vienna Airport 225.2. Education 265.3. Language skills of medical doctors in Vienna 295.4. Vienna – an ICT hub 305.5. Data Centres in Vienna 315.6. Vienna – a dynamic business location 33
2Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – Content
The Austrian Federal Government greatly values the keyroleoftheEuropeanBankingAuthority(EBA)intheEuropeanarchitectureforbankingsupervisionand 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 asmoothandfrictionlessrelocationoftheEBA. 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 United Nations 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 exceptionalsituationinthemidstofEurope–abridgetothewest,eastandsouth.
Vienna is a crossroads, both geographically and in terms of the market, which would enable the Authority to further strengthen its importantneutralcoordinatingrolebetweeneuroareaandnon-euroareaMemberStates. 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.
SectionI 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. SectionII 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 SectionIII. SectionIV provides information on privileges and immunities and the Austrian Government’s commitment to signing a Headquarters Agreement with the EBA. SectionV 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 anyfurtherquestionson the offer at hand.
Contact:[email protected]
Introduction
3Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – Introduction
1.1. Vienna at the crossroads between east and westThe 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 nottostopatcurrencyfrontierswhensafeguardingthestabilityofthefinancialmarket 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.
Internationalhubforfinancialactivitiesaswell
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 financialinstitutionsbasedinViennawithcross-borderengagementsact 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 ViennaInitiative(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 JointViennaInstitute(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.
I. Why Vienna?
4Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – I. Why Vienna?
In addition, the AustrianNationalBank(OesterreichischeNationalbank,OeNB) had already decided in the early 1990s to systematically use and increase its expertiseintheCESEEregion. 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 upin-depthmacro-financialresearchexpertiseontheCESEEregion, highlighting the role of financial sector development and financial stability for transition and sustainable catching-up processes.
Finally, ViennahoststheViennaInstituteforInternationalEconomicStudies(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/WorldBank
The WorldBankGroupViennaOfficealso benefits from the proximity to its Central and Eastern European client countries. In particular, the ViennaFinancialSectorAdvisoryCenter(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 WorldBankCentreforFinancialReportingReform(CFRR), which supports countries in adopting high-quality financial reporting standards, including in the financial sector.
5Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – I. Why Vienna?
1.2. Quality of lifeVienna–theworld’sbestcitytolivein,accordingtoMercer
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 Viennaastheworld’stopcityforqualityoflifein2017, 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 remarkablysafecity, ranked fifth in the world for “personal safety” in a 2016 report by Mercer.
In addition, it is exceptionallygreen, 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 multiculturalmakeup: 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–worldcapitalofmusic
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–around100museums
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.
6Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – I. Why Vienna?
Vienna–anexceptionaldiningscene
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–agreencity
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–acityofdiversity
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.
7Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – I. Why Vienna?
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.
II. Criteria
8Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria
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.
9Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria
2.2. Criterion 2: The accessibility of the locationFlightconnectionsfromandtoViennaInternationalAirport(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.
PublictransportationconnectionsfromVIEairporttothelocation
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, theOeBB(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.
Allmeansofpublictransport:www.wien.info/en/travel-info/to-and-around/ter
Railconnections
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.
10Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria
Accommodationfordelegatesandexperts
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.
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 Hofburg – or modern conference facilities such as the Austria Center Vienna.
Formoreinformation:www.hofburg.com/en/about_us_/our_company www.acv.at/index.en.html
GettingaroundinVienna
Public transport – Wiener LinienThe 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.
Hotelcapacities
***** 21 hotels 3,939 rooms
**** 164 hotels 15,793 rooms
*** 172 hotels 9,026 rooms
**/* 82 hotels 4,805 rooms
Total 439hotels 33,563rooms
11Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria
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.
Formoreinformation:www.wienerlinien.at/eportal3/ep/tab.do?tabId=0
CitybikeVienna’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).
Formoreinformation:www.citybikewien.at/en/
12Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria
2.3. Criterion 3: The existence of adequate education facilities for the children of agency staffVienna 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 alargenumberofmultilingualpre-school,schoolandstudentplacesavailable. 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.
Earlychildhoodeducation
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.
Primaryandsecondaryeducation
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.
Tertiaryeducation
Vienna has 18 universities and universities of applied sciences and arts (Fachhochschule) 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.
Formoredetailsoneducationinstitutionssee:section 5.2.
FormoreinformationonstudiesinEnglishsee:www.studienwahl.at/en
13Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria
2.4. Criterion 4: Appropriate access to the labour market, social security and medical care for both children and spousesExpatCenter–specialservicefortheEBA’sstaffandtheirfamilies
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.
■ InformationandserviceofficeinLondon: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.
■ Additionalon-sitesupportinVienna: 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.
Accesstothelabourmarket
The Austrian labour market has been very successful in providing jobs to foreigners from EU Member States. Employmentgrowthhasbeendynamicoverrecentyears,evenintimesofweakereconomicgrowth. 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 German language. 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 legalperspective, EEA citizens and Swiss nationals benefit from the freedomofestablishmentandfreedomofmovementforworkers. 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.
14Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria
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.
ForfurtherinformationincludingonEEAandthirdcountryfamilymembers:www.migration.gv.at/en/
CustomisedsupportforspousesandpartnersofEBAemployees
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
Accesstosocialsecurity/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 hospitals.
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 hospital sector.
15Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria
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).
HealthcareinVienna
Tertiary care Vienna has atotalof50hospitals and some 14,800 beds.
■ Of the 32hospitalsthatofferemergencytreatment, 22 are general hospitals and 10 offer specialised care (such as paediatric hospitals, orthopaedic facilities and trauma centres).
■ Privatelyinsuredandself-payingpatientsalso 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.
■ Internationallyrenownedhospitalsare i.a. the Vienna General Hospital or the St. Anna children s hospital with the Children s Cancer Research Institute.
Primary and secondary careThere is also a high number of contracted specialists working in the outpatient sector, ensuring timely and easily accessible care of the highest quality.
In addition, multi-professionalprimarycarecentres are established.
Finally, two thirds of medical doctors in Vienna speak either EnglishorFrench and several hundred for example speak Italian as a foreign language (see section 5.3.).
MedicalpractitionersinViennaintheoutpatientsector
Total (incl. dentists) 6,060
Medical practitioners 5,120
General practitioners 1,410
State-licensed physicians 20
Specialist physicians 3,690
Dentists 940
16Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria
2.5. Criterion 5: Business continuityThe 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.
TaskForce
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]
Qualifiedstaff
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)).
17Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria
■ Austrian Universities offering in-deptheducatione.g.ineconomics,finance,businessadministrationorstatistics have attracted people from many different European countries to live in Vienna. Institutions such as the University of Vienna, 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.
18Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria
2.6. Criterion 6: Geographical spreadAustria 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.).
19Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – II. Criteria
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.
III. Financial Terms
20Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – III. Financial Terms
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.
HeadquartersAgreementbetweentheRepublicofAustriaandtheEuropeanUnionAgencyforFundamentalRights:www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2011_III_10/COO_2026_100_2_648378.pdf
SupportbytheFederalMinistryforEurope,IntegrationandForeignAffairs
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.
IV. Privileges and Immunities/ Benefits to the Staff and Headquarters Agreement
21Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – IV. Privileges and Immunities
V. Additional Information
5.1. Flight connections from/to Vienna AirportI.EUCapitals
Destination Frequency Flights/week Airline
Amsterdam Daily 61 KLM, Austrian, EasyJet
Athens Daily 18 Austrian, Aegean
Berlin Daily 85 Austrian, Air Berlin, EasyJet
Bratislava No flight connections due to geographical proximity, large range of bus, train and speedboat connections
Bus: Eurolines, Flixbus; Rail: ÖBB; Speed boat: Twin City Liner
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, Eurowings, Flybe
Luxembourg Daily 20 Luxair
Madrid Daily 21 Iberia, Eurowings
Malta Daily 11 Europwings, Air Malta
Paris Daily 57 Austrian, Air France, 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, Croatia Airlines
22Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information
II.OtherEuropeanCapitals
III.OtherEuropeancities
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
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, Germanwings, 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, Lufthansa
Geneva Daily 33 Austrian, EasyJet Switzerland
23Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information
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
24Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information
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
IV.IntercontinentalDestinations
25Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information
5.2. Education ChildrenofcurrentEBAstaffbyage/levelofeducation
CapacityandavailabilityinVienna’sinternationalschools(2017/2018)
Age Levelofeducation Noofchildren
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 Available
VIS–ViennaInternationalSchool 1,615 17616 pre-kindergarten
8 kindergarten48 primary
104 secondary
AIS–AmericanInternationalSchool 846 7039 secondary
19 primary3 kindergarten
9 pre-kindergarten
DIS–DanubeInternationalSchool 821 35038 kindergarten
15 pre-kindergarten122 primary
175 secondary
LycéeFrancaisdeVienne 1,830 366
AmadeusInternationalSchoolofVienna 570 9426 primary
14 pre-kindergarten54 secondary
InternationalChristianSchool 280 40
ViennaElementarySchool 146
SwedishSchool/SvenskaSkolan 56 16
Total 6,164 1,112
26Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information
Bilingual day care centres and kindergartens
The Children’s House – Vienna Montessori Kindergarten: www.montessori-vienna.atPrivatkindergarten Schmetterling: www.schmetterling.at Arche Noah: www.archenoah.vienna.atKinderoase Weimar: www.kinderoase-weimar.atUnited Children: www.unitedchildren.at
English-languagedaycarecentresandkindergartens
American International School: www.ais.atDanube International School: www.danubeschool.comInternational Montessori Preschool: www.montessori-preschool-vienna.comInternational Private Children House: www.privat-kindergarten.comVienna English Preschool: www.viennaenglishpreschool.comVienna International School: www.vis.ac.at
InternationalSchools
VIS – Vienna International School: www.vis.ac.atAIS – American International School: www.ais.atDIS – Danube International School: www.danubeschool.comAmadeus International School of Vienna: www.amadeus-vienna.comInternational Christian School of Vienna: www.icsv.atVienna Elementary School: www.ves.atMayflower Christian Academy (MCA): www.mayflower-christian-academy.atLycée Français de Vienne: www.lyceefrancais.atSwedish School of Vienna: www.svenskaskolan.at
Furtherschoolsofinterest
Grammar School Komensky (bilingual Czech/German): www.orgkomensky.atFirst private Polish school in Austria: www.uczymypolskiego.at
Publicuniversities,coursesandMastersprogrammespartlyinEnglish
Vienna University: www.univie.ac.at Technical University of Vienna: www.tuwien.ac.atUniversity of Economics and Business: www.wu.ac.atMedical University of Vienna: www.meduniwien.ac.at University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna: www.vetmeduni.ac.atUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences: www.boku.ac.atUniversity of Music and Performing Arts Vienna: www.mdw.ac.atUniversity of Applied Arts: www.dieangewandte.atAcademy of Fine Art in Vienna: www.akbild.ac.at
27Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information
Universitiesofappliedsciences(Fachhochschule)andprivateuniversities,coursesand MastersprogrammespartlyinEnglish
Fachhochschule des bfi Wien: www.fh-vie.ac.atFachhochschule Campus Wien: www.fh-campuswien.ac.atFachhochschule Technikum Wien: www.technikum-wien.atFachhochschule der WKW: www.fh-wien.ac.atSigmund Freud University Vienna: www.sfu.ac.atMusic and Arts University of the City of Vienna: www.muk.ac.at
Privateuniversitiesanduniversityofappliedsciences,English
Webster University: www.webster.ac.atModul University: www.modul.ac.at Lauder Business School: www.lbs.ac.at
28Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information
5.3. Language skills of medical doctors in Vienna
Foreignlanguagebynumberof
doctorsinViennaNumber
English 3,136
French 943
Italian 448
Spanish 331
Russian 229
Hungarian 174
Croatian 147
Turkish 107
Polish 95
Persian 92
Serbian 88
Arabic 75
Serbo-Croatian 67
Bosnian 59
Czech 45
Romanian 44
Greek 32
Slovak 30
Bulgarian 26
Foreignlanguagebynumberof
doctorsinViennaNumber
Farsi 26
Portuguese 19
Swedish 18
Dutch 15
Chinese 13
Kurdish 13
Armenian 12
Hebrew 11
Albanian 10
Danish 9
Slovenian 8
Japanese 7
Norwegian 7
Ukrainian 6
Korean 5
Hindi 6
Georgian 1
Urdu 1
29Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information
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.
30Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information
5.5. Data Centres in Vienna InterxionÖsterreichLouis-Häfliger-Gasse 10, Objekt 50, A-1210 Viennawww.interxion.com/Locations/vienna/
e-shelterAustriaGmbH.Computerstraße 4, A-1100 Viennawww.e-shelter.de/de/location/datacenter-wien
RaiffeisenInformatikGmbHLilienbrunngasse 7-9, A-1020 Vienna www.raiffeiseninformatik.at/data-center/Vienna Internet Exchange (VIX):
UniversitätWienZentraler InformatikdienstACOnet/ VIXUniversitätsstraße 7, A-1010 Viennawww.vix.at/vixhome.html
MicrosoftÖsterreichGmbHAm Euro Platz 3, A-1120 Vienna www.microsoft.com/de-at/
HuemerDataCenterGes.m.b.H.Saturn Tower, 12. StockLeonard-Bernstein-Straße 10, A-1220 Vienna www.huemer-dc.com/
DATASIXRechenzentrumsbetriebsGmbHHofmühlgasse 3-5, A-1060 Vienna www.datasix.at/de/
AxiansICTAustriaGuglgasse 15, A-1110 Viennawww.axians.at
Nextlayer Telekommunikationsdienstleistungs- und Beratungs GmbH.Mariahilfer Gürtel 37/7, A-1150 Viennawww.nextlayer.at/de/leistungen/datacenter/
NessusGmbH.Fernkorngasse 10/3/501, A-1100 Viennawww.nessus.at/rechenzentrum/
BundesrechenzentrumGmbHHintere Zollamtsstraße 4, A-1030 Viennawww.brz.gv.at/
31Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information
T-SystemsAustriaGesmbHRennweg 97-99, A-1030 Viennawww.t-systems.com/at/de
SiemensAktiengesellschaftÖsterreichSiemensstraße 90, A-1210 Viennawww.siemens.com/at/de/home.html
KapschBusinessComAGWienerbergstraße 53, A-1120 Viennawww.kapsch.net/kbc
WienITEDVDienstleistungsgesellschaftmbH&CoKGThomas-Klestil-Platz 6, A-1030 Viennawww.wienit.at
32Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information
5.6. Vienna – a dynamic business locationVienna 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 Germany, Italy and the United States.
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.
Poolofhighlyskilledworkers
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.
TheViennaChamberofCommerceandIndustry–theone-stop-shoponthewaytoVienna
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.
33Offer for the Relocation of the European Banking Authority to Vienna – V. Additional Information
Imprint
Editor, owner, publisher and responsible for the contents:Federal Ministry of FinanceJohannesgasse 5, 1010 ViennaGraphics: Inga Seidl WerbeagenturPhotography: Adobe Stock, Colourbox, Studio HugerPrint: Printing office of Federal Ministry of FinanceVienna, July 2017www.bmf.gv.at