Social policy impacts between Germany and Austria are a special case. Because of the common language and the similar structures, policy developments in either of the two countries are observed in the other more closely and more frequently than between other Member states.

Nevertheless Austria reports a strong direct impact of the German peer review. The Austrian Federal Ministry of Social Security, Generations and Consumer Protection invited one of the German peer review participants, Dr Jan Schröder, head of the service bureau of the "Local Alliances for the Family" to repeat his presentation in front of an audience of relevant Austrian actors in Vienna in March 2005.

It can be taken for granted that some of the Austrian participants at this meeting were already very much in favour of having something like the "Alliance for the Family" in Austria too. So the type of impact observed here is not so much the transfer of new ideas, but giving support to developments already under way by presenting and discussing examples of good practice from other Member States.

Shortly the meeting in Vienna, things developed very quickly. A process of direct co-operation between the German and the Austrian ministries was initiated, and the Austrian "Familienallianz" was officially launched in the Austrian Parliament as early as 22 June with more than 50 founding members including representatives of many private enterprises.

As of January 2006, the support unit "Familie und Beruf Management gGmbH" will be in operation to co-ordinate and facilitate the further development of the "Familienallianz".

Please view and download documents related to the German Peer Review here.