On 1 January 2002, the euro enters into circulation in 12 of the 15 Member States of the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

On 26 March 1999, commenting on the outcome of the Berlin European Council held on 24 and 25 March, the German daily newspaper Die Welt reports on the attempt made by the four net contributor states of the European Union (the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and Germany) to reduce their contribution to the Community budget.

On 26 October and 1 December 1997, Italy and Austria join the Schengen area and gradually start to abolish their border controls. The photo, taken at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome, shows duty border guards no longer checking the passports of passengers from member countries of the Schengen area.

On 4 November 1993, Alois Mock, Austrian Foreign Minister, sets out the reasons prompting Austria to seek to accede to the European Union and outlines the main difficulties surrounding the accession negotiations.

On 18 June 1979 in Vienna, Austria, US President Jimmy Carter (on the left) and Leonid Brezhnev (on the right), First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, shake hands after signing the SALT II Treaty for the limitation of strategic weapons.

At the Brussels European Council on 20 and 21 March 2014, Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel welcomes the unanimous agreement of the Heads of State or Government of the European Union on the amendment of the directive on taxation of savings income. This issue, which has been under consideration for six years and which primarily involves bringing an end to banking secrecy by allowing the automatic exchange of information, can now move forward following the decision by Luxembourg and Austria to agree to work towards an amendment of the directive.

General presentation of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE): its composition, organisation and operation, goals, nature and areas of activity.

This video clip presents the origins and development of the Helsinki Process, from the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It outlines, in particular, the aims of the Conference when it was first established during the Cold War era, its influence as an instrument for détente between East and West and its conversion into an organisation with new tasks following the collapse of the Communist bloc.

The role of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw involves action in the fields of democratisation, respect for human rights, observance of the rule of law and promotion of tolerance.

The role of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media consists in monitoring violations of freedom of the press, providing early warning to the governments concerned, sending observers to investigate the situation on the ground and submitting criticism to the Permanent Council.