Austria Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in austria, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Standards for Trade
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Non-Tariff Barriers to Trade 

Overview

Austria operates within the European Union’s regulatory framework, which shapes its approach to standards and technical regulations. The Austrian system is market-driven with strong institutional coordination, rather than purely top-down. Most standards are voluntary, though some become mandatory when referenced in legislation or EU directives.

  • National Standards Body: The official body is Austrian Standards International (ASI), also known as Austrian Standards.
  • Standards System: Austria uses a hybrid model—voluntary standards dominate, but mandatory standards apply in regulated sectors (e.g., health, safety, environment).
  • Annual Work Plan: Yes, ASI publishes a National Work Programme that includes new proposals, revisions, and active projects. You can access it on Austrian Standards’ official site.
  • Participation: Non-resident entities, including those without manufacturing presence in Austria, can participate in standards development. ASI offers open platforms for public comment and stakeholder engagement, including international contributors.

Standards and Technical Regulations

Austria primarily adopts European (EN) and international (ISO, IEC) standards. National standards, known as ÖNORM, are developed when no EU or international equivalent exists.

  • Preference: Austria strongly favors EU harmonized standards, reflecting its integration into the single market.
  • U.S. Standards: While Austria does not automatically accept standards from U.S.-domiciled organizations (e.g., ASTM, ASME, API), these may be considered if aligned with EU directives. However, products certified to U.S. standards often require retesting or recertification to meet EU norms.
  • Regulatory Alignment: Austria follows the EU’s General Product Safety Directive and other sector-specific regulations. CE marking is mandatory for many product categories.

Testing, Inspection and Certification

Austria applies rigorous conformity assessment procedures, especially for regulated products. It is fully integrated into the EU’s certification regime.

  • General Approach: Products are subject to risk-based testing. Low-risk items may enter freely, while high-risk categories (e.g., medical devices, electronics, machinery) require third-party testing and certification.
  • Testing Bodies: Austria recognizes notified bodies across the EU and hosts several accredited institutions like TÜV Austria and SGS Austria, which conduct factory inspections, lab tests, and usage studies4.
  • Voluntary Certification: Many manufacturers opt for voluntary certification (e.g., ÖNORM or TÜV marks) to signal quality and gain market trust—even when not legally required.

Publication of Technical Regulations

Overview

Austria has a highly regulated economy with a mix of binding and non-binding standards. The national standards body is the Austrian Standards Office (ASO), located in Vienna. It collaborates with industry in the development and implementation of Austrian, EU, and international (ISO) standards. The ASO posts a work plan on its website. Proposed standards not subject to a European standard, including international standards, are considered for inclusion in the regulatory agenda. The process is inclusive and includes public comment periods during which interested parties can submit comment in German or English. The U.S. Embassy is not aware of any standards currently under consideration in Austria that would negatively impact U.S. products. The ASO website is also available in English: https://www.austrian-standards.at/en. 

Standards

Austria is a member of the European Union and adheres to EU standards requirements. Products tested and certified in the United States to U.S. standards may need to be retested and re-certified for compliance with EU requirements. When products are not regulated by specific EU technical legislation, they are always subject to the EU’s General Product Safety Directives, as well as possible additional national requirements. EU legislation and standards are harmonized across the Member States and European Economic Area countries to allow for the free flow of goods. For detailed information on harmonized trade standards, see the U.S. Commercial Service’s Commercial Guide for the European Union.  Also, please review this useful video on the CE Mark: https://www.trade.gov/ce-marking.

Testing, Inspection and Certification

Austria is a full participant in the European Union standards testing, inspection, and certification regime. It is home to testing bodies that certify compliance with European regulations where applicable and accepts the certification of notified bodies that test products in other EU countries. In cases where no mandatory EU standard exists, Austrian or ISO standards may be imposed. 

Publication of Technical Regulations

The Austrian Standards Office publishes international, European Union, and Austrian standards and technical regulations. 
 

Use ePing to review proposed technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures. 

The ePing SPS&TBT platform (https://epingalert.org/), or “ePing”, provides access to notifications made by World Trade Organization (WTO) Members under the Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), distributed by the WTO from January 16, 1995, to present. ePing is available to all stakeholders free of charge and does not require registration unless the user wishes to receive customized e-mail alerts. Use it to browse notifications on past as well as new draft and updated product regulations, food safety and animal and plant health standards and regulations, find information on trade concerns discussed in the WTO SPS and TBT Committees, locate information on SPS/TBT Enquiry Points and notification authorities, and to follow and review current and past notifications concerning regulatory actions on products, packaging, labeling, food safety and animal and plant health measures in markets of interest. 

Notify U.S., operated and maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) since 2003 to distribute and provide access to notifications (and associated draft texts) made under the WTO TBT Agreement for US stakeholders, has reached its end of life. Per obligation under the TBT Agreement, each WTO Member operates a national TBT (and an SPS) Enquiry Point. National TBT Enquiry Points are authorized to accept comments and official communications from other national TBT Enquiry Points, which are NOT part of the WTO or the WTO Secretariat. 

All comment submissions from U.S. stakeholders, including businesses, trade associations, U.S domiciled standards development organizations and conformity assessment bodies, consumers, or U.S. government agencies on notifications to the WTO TBT Committee should be sent directly to the USA WTO TBT Inquiry Point.  Refer to the comment guidance at https://tsapps.nist.gov/notifyus/data/guidance/guidance.cfm for further information. This guidance is provided to assist U.S. stakeholders in the preparation and submission of comments in response to notifications of proposed foreign technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures.

Contact Information

Austria
Austrian Standards Office
Heinestraße 38, A-1020 Wien
Tel: 43.1.213.00-0
mailto: office@austrian-standards.at

European Union
CEN- European Committee for Standardization
Avenue Marnix 17  
B – 1000 Brussels, Belgium  
Tel: 32.2.550.08.11  
Fax: 32.2.550.08.19  

CENELES- European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Avenue Marnix 17  
B – 1000 Brussels, Belgium  
Tel: 32.2.519.68.71  
Fax: 32.2.519.69.15  

ETSI- European Telecommunications Standards Institute
Route des Lucioles 650  
Sophia Antipolis  
F – 06560 Valbonne France  
Tel: 33.4.92.94.42.00  
Fax: 33.4.93.65.47.16  

SBS- Small Business Standards
4, Rue Jacques de Lalaing  
B – 1040 Brussels  
Tel: 32.2.285.07.27  Fax : +32-2/230.78.61

ANEC- European Association for the Co-ordination of Consumer Representation in Standardization  
Avenue de Tervuren 32, Box 27  
B – 1040 Brussels, Belgium  
Tel: 32.2.743.24.70  
Fax: 32.2.706.54.30

ECOS- European Environmental Citizens Organization for Standardization
Rue d’Edimbourg 26  
B – 1050 Brussels, Belgium  
Tel: 32.2.894.46.68
Fax: 32.2.894.46.10  

EOTA- European Organization for Technical Assessment
Avenue des Arts 40  
B – 1040 Brussels, Belgium  
Tel: 32.2.502.69.00  
Fax: 32.2.502.38.14  

Standards Attache
Mr. Jim Curtis
U.S. Mission to the European Union
mailto: Jim.Curtis@trade.gov
Direct Dial: 32.2.811. 5034

“Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are required under the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) to notify to the WTO proposed technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures that could affect trade. Notify U.S. is a free, web-based e-mail registration service that captures and makes available for review and comment key information on draft regulations and conformity assessment procedures. Users receive customized e-mail alerts when new notifications are added by selected country or countries and industry sector(s) of interest and can also request full texts of regulations. This service and its associated web site are managed and operated by the USA WTO TBT Inquiry Point housed within the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.”

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