Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
Concerns over e-prescriptions, Vienna ambulances struggling with fuel costs, Nehammer's concerns over Ukraine's EU accession and more news from Austria on Friday.
Fears over new e-prescriptions
The Chamber of Pharmacists and the Austrian Medical Association are calling for Austria’s new e-prescription system to be postponed, saying there are not enough prescription readers in pharmacies and warning of queues and chaos. The old system of prescriptions through e-medication is due to be phased out at the end of July. However, according to the President of the Chamber of Pharmacists, President Ulrike Mursch-Edlmayr, 5,000 card readers are missing and cannot be delivered before September or October.
With the old system of e-medication, patients in Austria could give their social security numbers to get their prescriptions, however, with the new system, the e-card will need to be scanned to obtain the prescription. Creating a postponement will mean there will have to be a special meeting of the National Council or a retrospective regulation will have to be passed.
The chairman of the Conference of Social Security Institutions, Peter Lehner, rejects the claim there will be chaos. He says the new system works and is already in widespread use, and says the Chamber of Pharmacists is "scaremongering”.
READ MORE: What is Austria’s e-card?
Ambulances struggling to refuel due to higher petrol prices
Ambulances are struggling to transport patients to hospital in Vienna due to rising fuel prices. The paramedics from the Arbeiter-Samariterbund (Samaritan Association) charity will soon no longer be able to carry out its six hundred appointments a day, according to managing director Reinhard Hundsmüller, speaking to the Wien Heute programme.
Other rescue services in Vienna, such as the Red Cross, the Green Cross or the Johanniter, are in the same situation: “We now have additional costs of EUR 200,000 per month – for all rescue organisations in total. That is why we are also demanding a mineral oil tax exemption, just as it is already possible for other companies such as agricultural businesses and the fire brigade,” said Robert Lorenz, head of operations at the Johanniter charity.
Austria will receive less Russian gas
As The Local reported on Thursday, Austria is to receive less Russian gas as Moscow steps up pressure on Europe.
Austria’s OMV energy company said in a statement: “We can confirm that we have been informed by (Russia’s) Gazprom about reduced delivery volumes,” to AFP. The company said supply to its customers was “ensured at the moment”.
Several EU countries - including Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic - have already reported that less gas is arriving. OMV shares fell by almost six percent on the Vienna Stock Exchange in the early afternoon.
READ MORE: Austria to receive less Russian gas as Moscow steps up the energy pressure
Indexing of family allowances by Austria found to be illegal by the ECJ
Austria’s policy of linking its family allowance to the cost of living in the place where the child resides has been ruled illegal by the European Court of Justice. Luxemburg judges found the policy violated EU law, according to a judgement published on Thursday.
The policy led to some caregivers receiving less money. For example, a parent working in Austria, with their child living in Romania, would receive half the allowance of someone with a child living in Austria. The EU Commission considered the indexation to be discriminatory and filed a lawsuit in May 2020.
The policy dates back to the ÖVP-FPÖ government of former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and former Family Minister Juliane Bogner-Strauß (both ÖVP), broadcaster ORF reports.
READ ALSO: Austria’s benefit cuts for migrants illegal, EU Court rules
Nehammer says Ukraine joining EU should not be privileged over other countries
Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer has given an interview to the German newspaper Die Welt in which he calls for the EU to not privilege Ukraine’s EU accession over the Western Balkan countries such as Bosnia-Herzegovina. Bosnia-Herzegovina submitted an application for membership at the beginning of 2016 and has only been considered a "potential candidate for membership" for years. Nehammer suggested there should be an intermediate stage before full EU accession, in the sense of a European preparatory area".
A recommendation from the EU Commission to grant candidate status to Ukraine is expected today. The decision of the heads of state and government must be unanimous.
65,000 visitors at the summer night concert in Schönbrunn Palace Park
Thousands of people enjoyed listening to the Vienna Philharmonic at a free summer night concert at the Schönbrunn Palace Park on Thursday night. Despite rain earlier in the day, the concert stayed dry. There were fewer attendants than in the record year 2018, when there were 104,500 guests - but significantly more than in 2021, when a maximum of 3,000 people were allowed to attend.
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Fears over new e-prescriptions
The Chamber of Pharmacists and the Austrian Medical Association are calling for Austria’s new e-prescription system to be postponed, saying there are not enough prescription readers in pharmacies and warning of queues and chaos. The old system of prescriptions through e-medication is due to be phased out at the end of July. However, according to the President of the Chamber of Pharmacists, President Ulrike Mursch-Edlmayr, 5,000 card readers are missing and cannot be delivered before September or October.
With the old system of e-medication, patients in Austria could give their social security numbers to get their prescriptions, however, with the new system, the e-card will need to be scanned to obtain the prescription. Creating a postponement will mean there will have to be a special meeting of the National Council or a retrospective regulation will have to be passed.
The chairman of the Conference of Social Security Institutions, Peter Lehner, rejects the claim there will be chaos. He says the new system works and is already in widespread use, and says the Chamber of Pharmacists is "scaremongering”.
READ MORE: What is Austria’s e-card?
Ambulances struggling to refuel due to higher petrol prices
Ambulances are struggling to transport patients to hospital in Vienna due to rising fuel prices. The paramedics from the Arbeiter-Samariterbund (Samaritan Association) charity will soon no longer be able to carry out its six hundred appointments a day, according to managing director Reinhard Hundsmüller, speaking to the Wien Heute programme.
Other rescue services in Vienna, such as the Red Cross, the Green Cross or the Johanniter, are in the same situation: “We now have additional costs of EUR 200,000 per month – for all rescue organisations in total. That is why we are also demanding a mineral oil tax exemption, just as it is already possible for other companies such as agricultural businesses and the fire brigade,” said Robert Lorenz, head of operations at the Johanniter charity.
Austria will receive less Russian gas
As The Local reported on Thursday, Austria is to receive less Russian gas as Moscow steps up pressure on Europe.
Austria’s OMV energy company said in a statement: “We can confirm that we have been informed by (Russia’s) Gazprom about reduced delivery volumes,” to AFP. The company said supply to its customers was “ensured at the moment”.
Several EU countries - including Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic - have already reported that less gas is arriving. OMV shares fell by almost six percent on the Vienna Stock Exchange in the early afternoon.
READ MORE: Austria to receive less Russian gas as Moscow steps up the energy pressure
Indexing of family allowances by Austria found to be illegal by the ECJ
Austria’s policy of linking its family allowance to the cost of living in the place where the child resides has been ruled illegal by the European Court of Justice. Luxemburg judges found the policy violated EU law, according to a judgement published on Thursday.
The policy led to some caregivers receiving less money. For example, a parent working in Austria, with their child living in Romania, would receive half the allowance of someone with a child living in Austria. The EU Commission considered the indexation to be discriminatory and filed a lawsuit in May 2020.
The policy dates back to the ÖVP-FPÖ government of former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and former Family Minister Juliane Bogner-Strauß (both ÖVP), broadcaster ORF reports.
READ ALSO: Austria’s benefit cuts for migrants illegal, EU Court rules
Nehammer says Ukraine joining EU should not be privileged over other countries
Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer has given an interview to the German newspaper Die Welt in which he calls for the EU to not privilege Ukraine’s EU accession over the Western Balkan countries such as Bosnia-Herzegovina. Bosnia-Herzegovina submitted an application for membership at the beginning of 2016 and has only been considered a "potential candidate for membership" for years. Nehammer suggested there should be an intermediate stage before full EU accession, in the sense of a European preparatory area".
A recommendation from the EU Commission to grant candidate status to Ukraine is expected today. The decision of the heads of state and government must be unanimous.
65,000 visitors at the summer night concert in Schönbrunn Palace Park
Thousands of people enjoyed listening to the Vienna Philharmonic at a free summer night concert at the Schönbrunn Palace Park on Thursday night. Despite rain earlier in the day, the concert stayed dry. There were fewer attendants than in the record year 2018, when there were 104,500 guests - but significantly more than in 2021, when a maximum of 3,000 people were allowed to attend.
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