Page - 182 - in Austrian Law Journal, Volume 2/2021

ISSN: 2409-6911 (CC-BY) 4.0 license www.austrian-law-journal.at DOI: 10.25364/01.8:2021.2.2 Fundstelle: Nunner-Krautgasser/Weidinger, From debt to discharge: Consumer insolvency proceedings in Austria , ALJ 2021, 182–201 (http://alj.uni-graz.at/index.php/alj/article/view/152). From debt to discharge: Consumer insolvency proceedings in Austria Bettina Nunner-Krautgasser/Tobias Weidinger,* Graz Abstract: Recently, two legislative acts have significantly changed Austrian insolvency law: Firstly, the overall reform of enforcement law (“Gesamtreform des Exekutionsrechts – GREx”)1 has drastically altered the interface between individual and general enforcement. And secondly, the implementation of the European Restructuring and Insolvency Directive2 has improved the framework for debt discharge not only for entrepreneurs but also for consumers. This article provides a detailed overview of the consumer insolvency proceedings in Austria and also addresses the activities of the recognised debt counselling agencies. Keywords: Consumer debt proceedings; insolvency proceedings; bankruptcy proceedings; reorganisation proceedings; debt settlement proceedings; proceedings for income levy; GREx; RIRUG; Austrian Insolvency Act; debt discharge; general enforcement; recognised debt counselling agencies; evident insolvency. I. Introduction to the Austrian insolvency regime In Austria, an amendment to the former Bankruptcy Act ("Konkursordnung") in 20103 ("Insolvenzrechtsänderungsgesetz 2010") abandoned the previous division between composition ("Ausgleich") and bankruptcy ("Konkurs"); instead, with the introduction of the Austrian Insolvency Act4 ("Insolvenzordnung", hereinafter IO) a unified insolvency proceeding * Dr. Bettina Nunner-Krautgasser is a University-Professor and Head at the Institute of Civil Procedure and Insolvency Law of the University of Graz. Mag. Tobias Weidinger is a University Assistant at the Institute of Civil Procedure and Insolvency Law of the University of Graz. 1 BGBl I 2021/86. 2 Directive (EU) 2019/1023 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20.06.2019 on preventive restructuring frameworks, on discharge of debt and disqualifications, and on measures to increase the efficiency of procedures concerning restructuring, insolvency and discharge of debt, and amending Directive (EU) 2017/1132 (Directive on restructuring and insolvency), ABl L 2019/172, 18. 3 Insolvenzrechtsänderungsgesetz 2010 BGBl I 2010/29. 4 Insolvenzordnung RGBl 1914/337.