The Austrians take a positive view of the four freedoms of the internal market and also see the freedom of establishment within Europe positively.
Whether milk caps or allergen labeling: the EU internal market with its huge regulations has been causing controversy and some misunderstanding about the Brussels bureaucracy for 30 years. But it is also a fact that it is Europe’s economic engine. The four cross-border freedoms for the movement of goods, services, capital and people were a success story to which, according to a survey by the Austrian Society for European Policy (ÖGfE), a majority of Austrians also have a positive relationship.
Economically, Austria, like all other member states, has benefited from the internal market. According to an evaluation by the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, the elimination of intra-European customs barriers and trade restrictions has more than tripled exports to other EU countries. Foreign investments in Austria have also increased significantly since joining the EU in 1995. This has created thousands of new jobs. There is a larger and often more attractive offer for consumers.