AUSTRIA GEOSTRATEGIC POSITION IN EUROPE

At present, a globalization of the economy and the European countries' forming a United Europe are two decisive processes : The globalizatio n of the economy enforces an acceptance of economies of scale in trans port, too. Obviously the future belongs to international top rank road s and railway lines as the axes joining the Eurometropolises. The glob alization and agreements on an economic restructuring in Europe make i t necessary to improve accessibility - areas only accessible with diff iculty will become peripheral. This globalization is paralleled by a l iberalization, i.e. a withdrawal of state influence, bringing about a separation of transport and social politics on a medium-term basis. In the long run, public transport cannot remain a means for mitigating d isparities. With joining the European Community and the EC's expansion toward the east to be expected in the near future, for Austria former transit transport becomes inland transport, at first in the west, lat er on also in the east. Problems with transit transport will be reduce d, in the not too distant future, to a bottle-neck problem along speci fic transport corridors. Considering the density of traffic in the Ruh r conurbation or Netherland's Randstad today's extremes will appear to be mere averages. The short interim phase between Austria's joining t he EC and the expansion towards the east forces this small country to cope, so to speak, simultaneously with both synchronous and asynchrono us developments: The problem of north-to-south transport is not solved yet, neither the Arlberg route nor the Pyhrn motorway are completed. The underground route along the Inn Valley, a typically Austrian surro gate for the extensive Brenner tunnel, is just being constructed. The opening-up towards the east that might have provided a chance for Vien na's regaining the central position it had held in a large empire did not result in any pertinent foresighted planning. There still are only relies of the former well-developed radial transport system. Very slo wly it was realized that a re-united Germany with its capital Berlin w ill construct new transport corridors to the group of small countries in Eastern Central and Southeastern Europe. Belatedly one became aware of the fact that those small countries certainly intend to profit fro m European long-distance transport, with Austria being both traversed and by-passed. At too late a date it was realized that new transport r equirements and, thus, new foci of investment developed outside Austri a due to the expansion of both the NATO and EC. The adaptation of the transport system to the requirements of a small country that had alrea dy started during the First Republic is bring finished now with Austri a's having joined the EC and its expansion towards the east on a mediu m-term basis.