New Anti-Corruption Law Per 1 January 2013

On 1 January 2013, a new anti-corruption law will enter into force in Austria. The amendment's key points are as follows:

1. Long-arm jurisdiction for offences committed abroad

According to the new regulations, an Austrian citizen or company can be prosecuted if the offence was committed abroad. This is independent of whether the behaviour constitutes a crime in the respective country. The Public Prosecutor can therefore indict, for example, the Austrian manager of a Romanian company for bribery, irrespective of Romanian anti-bribery regulations.

2. Higher punishment for bribery of public officials

The punishment will also be raised considerably: from 1 January 2013 onwards, the punishment for active and passive bribing organs and employees of companies close to the state will amount to ten years imprisonment instead of three.