Key facts
- Draft law sets up to five years in prison for espionage against EU institutions or international organizations in Austria.
- Maximum sentence for espionage against Austria itself would rise to 10 years from five.
- The bill would also criminalize recruitment of so-called disposable agents by foreign intelligence services.
- Chancellor Christian Stocker said foreign intelligence services are operating increasingly aggressively in Austria.
- A ministry spokesperson said the legislation is expected to pass parliament next year and take effect in February 2027.
Austria's government approved draft legislation on November 11, 2026, to strengthen the country's espionage laws, and Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger told POLITICO the following day that "Austria will no longer be a blind spot in Europe's security."
Under the current Criminal Code, operating or supporting a clandestine intelligence service is punishable only if it harms Austrian interests, leaving espionage aimed at other countries or international organizations outside the same provisions. The draft would close that gap with prison sentences of up to five years for espionage targeting EU institutions or international organizations with headquarters or offices in Austria, including the United Nations, the OSCE and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The maximum sentence for espionage against Austria itself would rise to 10 years from five.
The bill would also criminalize the recruitment of so-called disposable agents by foreign intelligence services and strengthen penalties for certain cybercrimes. Chancellor Christian Stocker said foreign intelligence services are operating increasingly aggressively in Austria and that tightening the laws also helps protect European partners and the international organizations based in the country.
According to an internal document seen by POLITICO, the legislation is part of the foreign ministry's broader policy shift toward Russia. Austria pressured Russia earlier this year to dismantle satellite installations on its diplomatic properties in Vienna over concerns they could be used for espionage, and at least three have since been removed. The country has expelled eight Russian diplomats since March 2025 for suspected espionage.
A ministry spokesperson said the legislation is expected to pass parliament next year and take effect in February 2027. Meinl-Reisinger said Vienna remains a place for dialogue but would no longer be a hub for espionage, acknowledging the city's long-standing reputation as a center of spying, which Austria's neutrality and non-NATO status helped build during the Cold War.