The provincial parliament (Landtag)
The Landtag is in charge of the provincial legislation.
The Landtag of Niederösterreich has 56 members, and after the last elections in Spring 2003 the mandates have been distributed as follows:
- 31 members from the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP)
- 19 members from the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ)
- 4 members from the Green Party (G)
- 2 members from the Liberal Party (FPÖ)
The tasks of the Landtag include:
- the election of the government (Landeshauptmann, two deputies and six ministers)
- legislation for the province.
The legislative competences of the provincial parliament comprise:
- The organisation of the provincial authorities, municipality organisations, kindergartens, building law, environmental protection, spatial planning and animal protection, area planning, highways, housing-support, tourism, hunting and fishing, sport, culture, agricultural support, hospitals, social welfare and care for the disabled, disaster aid and rescue work.
- The control of the provincial government - this takes the form, inter alia, of questions and requests for the submission of reports or with regard to audit assignments to the provincial audit office.
- The approval of treaties concluded by the provincial government with other provinces or with the federation.
- The selection of the province's representatives in the Federal Council (Bundesrat).
The National Parliament and the Federal Council are the legislative bodies in Austria. Thanks to the ability to despatch members to the Federal Council, the Austrian provinces have the opportunity to get indirectly involved in the legislation of the country as a whole. Niederösterreich sends 12 members to the 64-member Federal Council.
For more information:
Amt der NÖ Landesregierung
Information - Mr. Mag. Josef Kirbes
Tel.: +43 2742 9005 125 25
E-mail: post.lad1@noel.gv.at
http://www.landtag-noe.at/
