IEA Structure and Committees
The structure of the IEA is described below, with a focus on the areas in which Austria is involved.
Governing Board
The IEA Governing Board is the IEA's highest decision-making body and is composed of the energy ministers from each IEA member country. A Ministerial Meeting is held every two years to establish the IEA's guidelines and strategic direction. Austria is represented by the BMWET/Section 5.
IEA matters are also handled by Austria's Permanent Delegation to the OECD in Paris: Volker Holubetz (Energy Attaché).
Standing Groups und Komitees
The most important body in the field of energy technology research and development is the Committee on Energy Research and Technology (CERT), which formulates and oversees the IEA's strategies in the field of energy research and innovation. The Austrian representative on this committee is Mag. Sabine Mitter.
Other standing groups and committees include:
- Standing Group on Emergency Questions (SEQ),
- Standing Group on the Oil Market (SOM),
- Standing Group on Long-Term Co-operation (SLT),
- Standing Group on Global Energy Dialogue (SGD),
- Committee on Budget and Expenditure (CBE)
Working Parties
Within the Committee on Energy Research and Technology (CERT), the subject areas are organised into five working parties:
- Energy Technologies for the Built Environment and Transport (WPBT)
- Industry Working Party (WPI)
- Renewable Energy
- Fossil Fuels
- Fusion
The experts in the working parties analyse and evaluate the work of the relevant Technology Collaboration Programmes (TCPs) and draw up recommendations for the CERT. Austria is represented in all working parties except the 'Fusion' working party.
Experts’ Group on R&D Priority Setting and Evaluation (EGRD)
The Experts' Group acts as an advisory body for CERT; its job is to develop analytical approaches to setting R&D priori¬ties, devising implementation strategies and evaluating research programmes.
In this connexion workshops are organized on specific focal topics; discussions take place with experts, and the proceedings are documented in a comprehensive report.
Technology Collaboration Programms
The research collaborations are carried out within the framework of the multilateral Technology Collaboration Programmes (TCPs). The TCPs focus on research and policy activities relating to a wide range of energy topics, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, system integration, security and diversification of energy supply, carbon management and various cross-cutting issues. The TCP network promotes the exchange of knowledge whilst offering the opportunity to showcase Austrian expertise globally and to learn from one another. Around 6,000 experts from 54 countries are currently collaborating across a total of 40 TCPs.
The actual research and development activities take place within research and networking projects (also known as 'tasks'). A Technology Collaboration Programme often consists of up to 10 ongoing tasks. In Austria, the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI) commissions national experts, research institutions and companies to contribute to the content of individual projects or to initiate new tasks under Austrian leadership.
Click here for the IEA Research Cooperation projects: