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External energy security has gained importance within the EU due to the current Russian-Ukrainian natural gas dispute, but also because of mid- and long-term issues connected to the availability of energy supply in Europe. The Energy Union proposal is supposed to increase the coherence of the EU in external energy, thus contributing to the energy security of the Community. However, various member states have already expressed different (not always positive) views, concerning this project. In order to shed light on the further development of the Energy Union, the present paper – based on 52 semi-structured interviews – examines members states' support for and opposition to the further deepening of integration in external energy security. By analysing Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, this paper argues that member states' preferences depend at least partly on the decision-makers' perceptions of their state's ability to cope with three energy security challenges (external, internal and business). States whose decision-makers believe that their countries are able to successfully cope with these challenges are more likely to oppose further integration in energy security area, while member states whose decision-makers view these tasks as challenging are more likely to support the transfer of competences to the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT) measures quality-of-life (QoL) outcomes of long-term care (LTC) service provision. Country-specific preference weights are required to calculate ASCOT scores. ASCOT has been translated into German, but lacks preference weights for German-speaking countries. This paper aims to establish Austrian preference weights for the German version of the ASCOT service user measure, using best-worst scaling (BWS). Data were collected using an online BWS-experiment from a general population sample (n=1,000) of Austrian adults. We use a scale-adjusted multinomial logit model (S-MNL) accounting for positioning effects to estimate preference weights. Austrians value the top attribute-levels in the ASCOT domains 'being meaningfully occupied during the day' and 'having control over daily life' most highly, whereas high needs were the least preferred in the domains 'dignity' and 'social participation'. From a methods perspective, we found significant positioning effects only for 'best' choices, with statements at the top of a list being picked more often than those further down in the list. Factors related to survey completion (self-assessed understanding of the tasks and survey completion time) were shown to have the greatest effect on individual choice consistency. The paper provides Austrian preference weights for the German version of ASCOT for service users. The weights also provide insight into how Austrians value different LTC-QoL states. Future research may investigate how values for different LTC-QoL states differ between socioeconomic groups. • Austrian preference weights for the ASCOT-Service User have been developed. • Top levels in the domains 'occupation' and 'control' are valued the most. • Bottom levels for 'dignity' and 'social participation' are valued the least. • Positioning effects matter for 'best', but not for 'worst' choices. • Factors related to survey completion have the greatest effect on choice consistency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers in Europe act within guidelines set by agricultural programs, market demands and biophysical constraints. At the same time, they are social actors embedded in their respective family structures and individual lifestyles and preferences. We here present the socio-ecological land-use model SECLAND that provides an improved representation of the versatility in farmer's characteristics and subsequently its impact on land-use decision making. The model combines (1) an agent-based module (ABM) with farmers as agents whose intrinsic behavioural characteristics are represented via farming styles with (2) a probabilistic GIS-based forest regrowth module. We apply the model for the LTSER Eisenwurzen region in northern Austria to explore land-use patterns until the year 2050 under three different scenarios. Our results show the relevance of explicitly considering differences between the responses of individual farmers to changing framework conditions. In order to devise sustainable development paths for future agriculture, it is important to focus on farmers' well-being and recognize it as being equally important as economic success. • This paper provides the description of the bimodular SECLAND land-use model. • We depict the effect of intrinsic factors on farms decision-making. • We investigate the impact of socio-economic and climatic framework changes on land-use patterns. • We analyse intensity shifts, crop and forest type changes as well as forest transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Multi-level co-management schemes in Austria shift some effort for decision-making in landscape development from central state authorities to local actors. We analyse the efforts, benefits and risks of participation as perceived by the individuals involved in five cases from three different programmes (one EU-LIFE-Nature project, two EU-Natura 2000 local steering groups, two Cultural Landscape Projects of the Nature conservation Department of Lower Austria). Results from exploratory interviews, a survey of participants, problem centred interviews with drop-outs, interviews with process leaders, observation and document analysis are triangulated for intra- and inter-case consistency and validity. All case studies indicate an overall positive evaluation of the collaboration and the perceived benefits (e.g. contributing to nature protection, bringing in one's own knowledge and experiences), an adequate effort for process activities and relatively low risks of participation (e.g., lack of agreements on procedures, unclear scope for decision-making, missing implementation of decisions, dominating individuals). The results show a significant positive correlation between time effort and benefits and significant negative correlations between effort and risks as well as benefits and risks. A comparison of professionally involved participants and volunteers highlight disproportionally high opportunity costs of volunteers. Volunteers also tend to benefit less from their participation. Some of the volunteers dropped out, because they did not have the feeling to benefit from the participation. These dropouts perceived higher risks and lower trust in the process than the still active participants. The paper discusses the methods applied and concludes with some lessons learnt for practical landscape co-management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper describes the so-called ‘Governance-Check’, a new approach for assessing governance structures and making them more sustainable, and also applies it on the example of Austrian environmental institutions and organisations. Three parts are analysed mainly by means of the concept ‘3-D Sustainability’ (Mauerhofer, 2008a): (1) the constitutional distribution of competences among public authorities on a spatial scale, (2) the distribution of different competences to a single public authority based on sub-constitutional legislation, and (3) the relationship between different public authorities in a federal state based on sub-constitutional legislation. For all the three parts, public authorities are assessed regarding the public powers given to them to govern environmental, social and economic capital and capacity as capital authorities and/or capacity authorities. The results present for all three parts innovative and practical pathways towards a more sustainable type of governance, with the aim of overcoming the incoherencies, conflicts of interests and inadequate levels of cooperation which could be identified. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Most commonly, sustainability indicator sets presented as lists do not take into account interactions among indicators in a systematic manner. Vice versa, existing environmental indicator systems do not provide a formalized approach for problem structuring and quantitative decision support. In this paper, techniques for considering indicator relationships are highlighted and a coupled approach between a qualitative and a quantitative method is analysed. Cognitive mapping (CM) is used for structuring indicators and three different causal maps are derived based on established sustainability concepts: (a) criteria and indicators (C&I hierarchy), (b) indicator network, and (c) Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) system. These maps are transferred to the Analytic Network Process (ANP) to allow their application in multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). In an application example, Pan-European indicators for sustainable forest management (SFM) are utilized in an ANP-based assessment. The effects of the model structure on the overall evaluation result are demonstrated by means of three reporting periods on Austrian forestry. In a comparative analysis of CM and ANP it is tested whether their measures of indicator significance do correspond. Both centrality in CM and single limited priorities in ANP have been reported to identify key indicators that play an important role in networks. We found out that the correspondence between CM and ANP is the stronger the more rigidly cause-effect relationships are interpreted, which is the case for the DPSIR system of SFM indicators. It is demonstrated that using indicator sets without consideration of the indicator interactions will cause shortcomings for evaluation and assessment procedures in SFM. Given strict and consistent definition of causal indicator relationships, a coupled use of CM and ANP is recommendable for both enhancing the process of problem structuring as well as supporting preference-based evaluation of decision alternatives. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper we introduce analytical three-dimensional (3D) views as a means for effective and comprehensible information delivery, using virtual globes and the third dimension as an additional information carrier. Four case studies are presented, in which information extraction results from very high spatial resolution (VHSR) satellite images were conditioned and aggregated or disaggregated to regular spatial units. The case studies were embedded in the context of: (1) urban life quality assessment (Salzburg/Austria); (2) post-disaster assessment (Harare/Zimbabwe); (3) emergency response (Lukole/Tanzania); and (4) contingency planning (faked crisis scenario/Germany). The results are made available in different virtual globe environments, using the implemented contextual data (such as satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and auxiliary geodata) as valuable additional context information. Both day-to-day users and high-level decision makers are addressees of this tailored information product. The degree of abstraction required for understanding a complex analytical content is balanced with the ease and appeal by which the context is conveyed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper explores the issue of sustainability at the macro scale employing multi-criteria decision aid (MCDA) methods. The incommensurability of values and the essentially multi-dimensional and dynamic nature of sustainability challenge the use of composite measurement indices. This determined the choice of MCDA methods. Austria was chosen as a case study, due to the wide availability of data, especially on indicators of strong sustainability. The structure of the multi-criteria problem comprised the evolution of different sustainability dimensions over time. The process for selecting criteria included a critical assessment of institutional sustainability agendas (UN, EU and Austrian Government) and theoretical recommendations. After an assessment of MCDA methods, the NAIADE method demonstrated the most suitable properties for sustainability assessment. The application of this outranking approach was undertaken in three separate settings: long-term from 1960 to 2003, medium-term, 1970–1995, and short-term, 1995–2003 with varying numbers of criteria. The response of results to the addition of evaluating criteria and periods was tested. The degree of credibility for accepting preference relations was also employed for sensitivity analysis. According to the results of long-term and medium-term assessments, especially in the weak sustainability setting, sustainable progress is taking place in Austria. In the short term, in the stronger sustainability setting and, especially as the number of criteria increases, more incomparable periods appear and trends are less determined. Moreover, it is shown how results crucially depend on the methodological choices. This is one of the first applications of the multi-criteria tools to the dynamic analysis of sustainability at the macro scale. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Current transport policy objectives aiming to increase active mobility can solely be achieved by changing people's mobility behavior. To arouse interest and influence the decision process of the people, adequate information sources and services as well as appropriate incentives and motivation have to be used, but they have to be target-group specific to reach people more effectively. Influencing factors such as mobility habits, attitudes towards transport modes, shared social norms and values must be considered. Since people resemble in some characteristics, methods from social sciences are applied to identify homogeneous groups of shared mobility-related information needs and to extract appropriate group-related arguments to promote active mobility (e.g. health, environment, costs, image, or adventure). The paper describes the methodological approach and the results in form of six comprehensively defined homogeneous target groups derived from 12 qualitative focus groups. Moreover, a survey among a representative sample of 1000 persons in Austria is presented. Based on the outcomes, customized concepts for each specific target group (arguments, information needs, and preferred information channels) have been developed. The concept provides a solid basis for implementing measures to promote active mobility as prerequisite for reaching transport policy objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Recreational camps for children are a helpful measure to cope with family illness. • Camps can also help to meet the needs of young carers. • Camp should be considered as an important cornerstone of support for this group. • But should also be a trigger for discussing more sustainable support measures. Recreational camps for children play an important role in coping with the illness of a family member. This paper aims to describe the experience of a young-carer summer camp in Austria from the perspective of the attending children who care for a parent with severe physical illness as well as their diagnosed and non-diagnosed parents who remained at home. Nineteen qualitative interviews with children and their parents were conducted and analyzed according to qualitative summarizing content analysis procedure. The findings show a familial decision-making process and the ambivalent expectations and feelings of the children prior to the camp. The camp itself is a place where children feel looked after and where they can enjoy adventure activities. It is also a place where they are among themselves and can make friends and talk about their feelings in a secure and private environment. During the camp, the remaining parents try to spend most of their time focusing on themselves and their partnership. The camp also gives the children a glimpse of another way of living with new freedoms that cannot be maintained when they come home. These findings indicate that camps can make an important contribution to addressing young carers' needs but should also initiate a debate on more sustainable relief measures for children with care responsibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]