New federal law supports civil defence associations and rescue organizations
In November, the National Council unanimously passed the Rescue Organizations and Civil Protection Support Act. This was followed by a unanimous decision in the Federal Council at the beginning of December. As a result, a new legal basis for disaster prevention in Austria came into force on January 1, 2024.
Legal anchoring and financial support for the ÖZSV
Since 1961, civil defense associations have been active throughout Austria and support the population in preparing for crises and disasters. Since then, countless lectures have been held, brochures distributed and events organized. From 2024, the Federal Civil Protection Association (ÖZSV) will not only have clearly defined legal tasks for the first time, but also a fixed budget.
The legal tasks of the ÖZSV from 2024:
- Increasing the general disaster resilience of the population
- Imparting knowledge and skills in self-preparedness
- Promotion of the idea of self-protection in the context of civilian national defense
The civil defense associations work free of charge for the population. This means that their work is dependent on financial support from the public sector. Until the end of 2023, the ÖZSV was financed via recurring funding agreements with the Federal Ministry of the Interior. This meant a lack of planning security for the association and a high administrative burden for the authorities. From 2024, the previous subsidies will be replaced by a statutory annual grant. This enables the ÖZSV to plan its activities in the long term and to expand the quality of its services for the population.
20 million a year for rescue organizations
Not only the Civil Protection Association has been provided with additional funds, but the rescue organizations will also receive annual funding for disaster preparedness from 2024. 18 million euros are disbursed annually via the federal states to modernize and expand emergency equipment in the event of a disaster. A further 2 million euros will go to the nationwide umbrella organizations to support their coordinating activities. In total, the rescue organizations will receive 20 million euros annually for important investments in our national resilience.
