Role of the Regional Chambers of Agriculture

Nine regional chambers of agriculture represent the agricultural and forest interests in the country. According to the Austrian federal constitution, they fall under the jurisdiction of the federal regions and are public bodies by regional law.

Their main tasks are to:

• Represent the interests of agriculture and forestry in every respect and in all areas
• Provide legal, economic, technical and social advice to those involved in agriculture and forestry
• Represent the interests of the agricultural and forestry population to government officials and to public authorities in economic, cultural and taxation issues as well as in matters of taxes and fees
• Delegate representatives to committees and advisory boards to advise and participate in the decision-making of the national administration
• Assume responsibility with regard to subsidies and duties that have been delegated by the national government

For economic reasons, the federal government of Austria has transferred the administration of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union (CAP) and other agricultural issues to the regional chambers of agriculture, which are compensated for the additional costs. In contrast to other European countries, this method of agricultural administration has yielded the most practical and economical results in Austria.