Austria

A supplementary protocol on bilateral border-co-operation was signed with Hungary; the text aligns with the post-pandemic Schengen Borders Code: joint patrols can be deployed on either side carrying out identity checks up to 10 km beyond the actual border

Major changes have come into force in Austria in 2026 concerning vehicles and transport: reform of motorway tolls, a strengthening of environmental measures and a more restrictive management of heavy goods traffic along the Brenner corridor

Inheritances in cryptocurrencies are becoming more frequent and questions for heirs and notaries raise; it is estimated that about 300.000 people own cryptos in Austria, but data is difficult to find also due to very low tax compliance

A roundtable on humanitarian consequences of nuclear testing was held in Vienna; community leaders, researchers and practitioners discussed what steps can secure justice for affected communities in line with Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Direct train line Vienna-Prague will enhance frequency and the southern town of Villach will be connected to Czech Republic by ComfortJet trains starting in December

The program of New Year's Concert 2026 at the Vienna Musikverein has been announced: it includes five premieres, including two pieces by female composers and Yannick Nézet-Séguin from Canada will conduct the concert for the first time

Bilingual signs in two municipalities home to the Slovenian minority in Carinthia have been vandalised in what is suspected to be a politically-motivated act; the incident was condemned by the minority as well as officials in Slovenia and Austria

A country-wide test of the civil warning alarm system has used over 8.300 sirens to check the operation of the technical equipment throughout Austria, as well as familiarize all residents with the signals and their meaning

Breakthrough for the cross-border Brenner tunnel to Italy was celebrated with the presence of authorities; the system, 204 kilometers long, is scheduled for completion by 2032 and will cost €10,5 billion, 50% funded by EU as 'priority infrastructure'

The National Council has started its autumn work sessions with debate about tightening of the weapons law, as announced before the summer in consequence of a deadly rampage at a school in Graz

Airbnb has been providing data to the city of Graz, including the identity of the landlords, in response to growing opposition by many cities to short-term apartment rentals; Graz is demanding accommodation fees from landlords and will impose fines soon

Stephanie Venier, 31, announced the end of her skiing career; world champion with gold in the Super-G and bronze in the team combination, Venier caused a sensation last winter in Saalbach-Hinterglemm but has recently suffered a lack of motivation

Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian extreme athlete who became the first person to break the sound barrier in a freefall jump in 2012, died in a paragliding crash on Italy's eastern coast; he was 56 and reportedly died because of a heart attack while flying