RESTRICTED
GENERAL AGREEMENT GPA/IC/W/7/Add.7
21November 1994
ONTARIFFS AND TRADE
(94-2494)
Original: English Interim Committee onGovernment Procurement
QUESTIONNAIRE ONINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
INGOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
Response byAustria
Theattached communication contains thereplies from thedelegation ofAustria tothe
questionnaire onInformation Technology inGovernment Procurement contained in
document GPA/IC/W/4/Rev.1, dated 16September 1994.
./.GPA/IC/W/7/Add.7
Page2
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INGOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
Replies received from Austria
With reference totheSecretariat 'squestionnaire GPA/IC/W/4/Rev.1 of16September 1994
ontheuseofinformation technology inpublic procurement, wewould liketoinform thatAustria has
adopted thelegislation andprocedures oftheECasaresult ofAustria 'smembership intheEuropean
Economic Area(EEA) andasafuture newmember oftheEuropean Union (EU). Public procurement
opportunities therefore havetobeadvertised intheofficial journal oftheEC,which isalsoavailable
viaanECelectronic databank(TED system). Thisobligation applies toalllevels ofgovernment for
procurement under theEEA andEUtreaty.
Asregards government procurement under thepresent andfuture GATT Agreement,
advertisements onprocurement opportunities arebeing published intheofficial Government Journal
"Wiener Zeitung", which isalsoavailable under theTED system.
Atpresent, Austria doesnotpossess anelectronic central databank which provides fora
comprehensive listing ofgovernment procurement opportunities; norarethere anyplans atpresent
toestablish suchasystem intheimmediate future. Austria willtherefore continue toapply theabove
procedures inforceunder theEEAandEUtreaty aswellasunder theGATT Agreement onGovernment
Procurement forthetimebeing.
Asconcerns responsibilities forinformation technology among government agencies, the
Department forInformation-Technique-Coordination oftheFederal Chancellery ischarged with
fundamental issues andcoordination ofmatters concerning information technology within theFederal
Ministries.
Forthedissemination ofinformation among thevarious Ministries, aBulletin Board Service
(BBS)operatedbyelectronicmeanshasbeenestablished.Itprovidesinformationonplannedandalready
effected purchases among theMinistries onavoluntary basis. Access tothisBBStosuppliers isnot
provided.