https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Austria in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Austria will sign an agreement with Uzbekistan next month to facilitate deportations, including to Afghanistan via the central Asian country, the interior ministry said. https://www.thelocal.at/20260430/austria-plans-deal-with-uzbekistan-on-afghan-deportations Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:46:16 +0200 austria-plans-deal-with-uzbekistan-on-afghan-deportations After standardising chargers for mobile phones, from Tuesday new computers sold in EU countries must also use the USB-C charging point, as the latest phase of EU anti-waste legislation comes into force. https://www.thelocal.at/20260428/eu-anti-waste-law-new-laptops-sold-in-europe-must-now-use-usb-c-chargers Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:16:33 +0200 eu-anti-waste-law-new-laptops-sold-in-europe-must-now-use-usb-c-chargers The UK and European Union said they have signed the legal texts allowing Britain to rejoin the bloc's Erasmus student exchange scheme, five years after Brexit forced its departure. https://www.thelocal.at/20260416/uk-signs-deal-to-rejoin-eus-erasmus-student-exchange-scheme Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:52:47 +0200 uk-signs-deal-to-rejoin-eus-erasmus-student-exchange-scheme A new EU directive on pay transparency, which aims to ensure equality between men and women doing the same job, could transform the European job market by guaranteeing more rights to workers. https://www.thelocal.at/20260414/how-the-european-job-market-will-change-with-new-pay-transparency-rules Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:37:53 +0200 how-the-european-job-market-will-change-with-new-pay-transparency-rules European leaders reacted on Monday to the defeat of Viktor Orban, who lost Sunday's parliamentary elections in Hungary. Many hailed the result as a victory for democracy and for Europe. https://www.thelocal.at/20260413/historic-moment-european-leaders-react-to-orbans-defeat-in-hungary Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:48:46 +0200 historic-moment-european-leaders-react-to-orbans-defeat-in-hungary A new Austria poll suggests EU enlargement is not a problem in itself. The real divide is which countries Austrians want to see join next. https://www.thelocal.at/20260409/which-eu-candidates-do-austrians-support-and-which-do-they-reject Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:02:07 +0200 which-eu-candidates-do-austrians-support-and-which-do-they-reject A landmark agreement has been reached by the European Parliament and Council on the reform of EU rules around customs that include new measures to tackle e-commerce from non-EU countries. What will it mean for consumers? https://www.thelocal.at/20260402/shein-temu-why-european-consumers-will-pay-more-for-cheap-online-orders Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:38:55 +0200 shein-temu-why-european-consumers-will-pay-more-for-cheap-online-orders Slovakia’s decision to charge foreign drivers more for diesel is illegal under European Union law, the European Commission said on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.at/20260324/eu-says-slovakia-cannot-charge-foreign-drivers-more-for-diesel Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:39:08 +0100 eu-says-slovakia-cannot-charge-foreign-drivers-more-for-diesel Europe is in great need of money and the EU's plan to get hold of it is to tap the trillions of euros of EU citizens' savings. But will it work? https://www.thelocal.at/20260316/what-you-should-know-about-the-eus-plan-to-tap-your-savings Mon, 16 Mar 2026 13:17:14 +0100 what-you-should-know-about-the-eus-plan-to-tap-your-savings Everyone in Europe agrees the EU needs to rescue its industry but the bloc is split over how far it should push a 'Buy European' approach in order to do so. https://www.thelocal.at/20260217/made-in-europe-new-push-to-buy-european-causes-splits-in-bloc Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:55:52 +0100 made-in-europe-new-push-to-buy-european-causes-splits-in-bloc As part of the landmark trade agreement announced on January 27th, the EU and India adopted a ‘mobility framework’ that aims to make it easier for Indian students, researchers and young professionals to move to the EU. https://www.thelocal.at/20260207/what-the-mobility-deal-between-the-eu-and-india-will-mean-for-skilled-workers Sat, 07 Feb 2026 09:19:01 +0100 what-the-mobility-deal-between-the-eu-and-india-will-mean-for-skilled-workers The European Commission has announced it will look into allowing certain non-EU professionals to stay in the EU beyond the current 90/180-day rule, as part of a future overhaul of its visa system. It also asked EU countries to make visa access "simpler and faster" for skilled workers. https://www.thelocal.at/20260129/eu-announces-plan-to-extend-90-day-rule-for-certain-non-eu-workers Thu, 29 Jan 2026 20:52:25 +0100 eu-announces-plan-to-extend-90-day-rule-for-certain-non-eu-workers The European Union on Thursday laid out plans to overhaul its visa system and step up deportations as part of a five-year migration strategy that cements a hardening line on the hot-button issue. https://www.thelocal.at/20260129/eu-announces-new-push-to-overhaul-visa-system-and-deportations-policy Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:01:33 +0100 eu-announces-new-push-to-overhaul-visa-system-and-deportations-policy Austria’s data protection authority has ordered Microsoft to stop using tracking cookies in education software, privacy campaigners said. https://www.thelocal.at/20260127/austria-orders-microsoft-to-stop-tracking-cookies-in-school-software-campaigners-say Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:09:31 +0100 austria-orders-microsoft-to-stop-tracking-cookies-in-school-software-campaigners-say Calls are growing louder for the European Union to deploy its powerful "anti-coercion instrument" in response to US President Donald Trump's threats to impose tariffs in the standoff over Greenland. https://www.thelocal.at/20260119/what-is-the-eus-anti-coercion-bazooka-it-could-use-against-us Mon, 19 Jan 2026 10:12:11 +0100 what-is-the-eus-anti-coercion-bazooka-it-could-use-against-us The European Union will on Saturday sign a deal 25 years in the making with the South American trade bloc Mercosur, creating one of the world's largest free trade areas at a time of growing protectionism and volatility. https://www.thelocal.at/20260117/eu-to-ink-long-awaited-trade-deal-with-south-american-bloc Sat, 17 Jan 2026 11:03:56 +0100 eu-to-ink-long-awaited-trade-deal-with-south-american-bloc The EU gave the long-delayed go ahead on Friday to a huge trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur championed by business groups but loathed by many European farmers -- overriding opposition led by France. https://www.thelocal.at/20260109/eu-countries-override-france-to-greenlight-mercosur-trade-deal Fri, 09 Jan 2026 15:05:51 +0100 eu-countries-override-france-to-greenlight-mercosur-trade-deal Reports of a US plan to coax Austria away from Brussels have been denied in Washington, but the political fallout shows how sensitive EU–US relations have become. https://www.thelocal.at/20251212/whats-the-us-plan-to-draw-austria-out-of-the-eu Fri, 12 Dec 2025 13:36:54 +0100 whats-the-us-plan-to-draw-austria-out-of-the-eu EU countries on Monday backed a significant tightening of Europe's immigration policy, including endorsing the concept of setting up "return hubs" outside the 27-nation bloc for failed asylum-seekers. https://www.thelocal.at/20251208/european-countries-agree-to-set-up-return-hubs-for-migrants-outside-eu Mon, 08 Dec 2025 19:22:36 +0100 european-countries-agree-to-set-up-return-hubs-for-migrants-outside-eu The European Union was forced to defend itself on Monday after Washington criticised the bloc's policies and in a separate swipe the billionaire Elon Musk blew his top saying the EU should be abolished. https://www.thelocal.at/20251208/united-states-cannot-replace-europe-eu-hits-back-at-us-and-musk Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:24:36 +0100 united-states-cannot-replace-europe-eu-hits-back-at-us-and-musk