According to the opinion research institute YouGov, a survey of a total of 1,459 small and medium-sized companies in Austria, Switzerland, Germany and France on state aid programs in the energy crisis and high inflation phase shows some outliers for Austria. The aid measures in this country are “simple, but ineffective”.
In comparison, access to the emergency services in this country appears to be the most accessible and unbureaucratic: only 7 percent of domestic companies consider using the assistance too complicated (compared to 15 percent in France and 21 percent in Germany). However, with 28 percent, Austrian companies in particular think the support measures are not targeted enough (compared to 15 percent in France and 24 percent in Germany) and 25 percent find them insufficient (compared to 19 percent in the other countries).
Austrian companies look at sustainability
Remarkably, Austrian companies are most concerned about the pressure on financial budgets as a result of the support measures (21 percent against 20 percent in Germany and 16 percent in France), according to YouGov, which conducted the study published Thursday afternoon on behalf of B2B platform operator Visible . Austrian companies are also the most likely to campaign for a joint European solution (20 percent versus 18 percent in Germany and 16 percent in France).
When it comes to environmental awareness, Austria stands out positively. 22 percent of the companies surveyed indicate that the importance of sustainability has increased significantly in the company as a result of the current crises, compared to 15 percent in France and 14 percent in Germany and Switzerland. Overall, however, the relevance of sustainability has increased almost equally. Here, approval ranges from 43 percent in French companies to 47 percent in Austrian companies. Conversely, sustainability has lost importance for 9 percent of German companies due to the current crises and for 11 percent in other countries.
When asked about measures for more sustainable management, Austrian companies say they are at the forefront of switching to renewable energy: 20 percent of domestic companies are implementing initiatives here, while only 9 percent are in the lowest ranked country. Switzerland. Austria is also a leader in switching to paperless processes (33 percent vs. 23 percent in France), switching to electric vehicles (16 percent vs. 9 percent in latecomer Switzerland) and promoting environmentally friendly mobility among employees (18 percent vs. 12 percent in Switzerland). France, on the other hand, excels in the reduction of the vehicle fleet (10 percent compared to 6 percent in Austria) and in the switch to digital exchanges (10 percent compared to 5 percent in Austria).
40 percent of the measures were successful
The OECD also analyzed and presented international energy aid at the current OECD Annual Council of Ministers (MCM) in Paris on Wednesday, it reported. According to the Ministry of Finance, 40 percent of the measures in Austria are correct. Finance Minister Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) saw the domestic path confirmed. However, the OECD also recommends reducing the measures and increasing accuracy. According to Brunner, each tool is analyzed for its effect. “The new OECD analysis confirms that Austria led the way in support measures,” Brunner said in a statement from the Ministry of Finance. “International comparisons also show that we were also above average when it came to accuracy.”
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
