2.2 Analysis of the situation in Austria Austria is a democratic state governed by the rule of law. It maintains high standards with regard to fundamental rights and is a member of the EU on the constitutional basis of its permanent neutrality. Austria is also an active member of other security-relevant international organisations. Austria is surrounded by stable democratic states; nevertheless, it is geographically closer than other EU Member States to potential crisis regions on the peripheries of Europe and is thus more strongly confronted with instability originating from these regions. Due to its topography, Austria is also vulnerable to specific natural disaster risks. Austria enjoys high esteem as one of the UN host countries, as host country of the OSCE and other international organisations dealing with security and disarmament issues, as venue of a number of pertinent conferences, and for its traditional role as a mediator. This raises its importance in security policy. It also means, however, that Austria has a greater responsibility towards these institutions and their members and, therefore, a greater need to exercise additional protective functions for them. Austria is characterised by social peace and high standards in the area of internal security. This reputation favours Austria’s popularity as a tourist destination but also entails the challenge of ensuring the security of visitors to the country. As a Schengen Member State,Austria is also required to make an active contribution to ensure security and freedom of movement within the Schengen area. The relatively high proportion of individuals with migration background living in Austria entails additional expertise which can also be used in the interests of security. At the same time, it also brings about specific challenges concerning internal security. 8