Constitutional Court confirmed: ORF contribution remains right!

Constitutional Court confirmed: ORF contribution remains right!

Wien, Österreich - The Constitutional Court (VfGH) today decided that the ORF contributions Act 2024 is constitutional. The reason for the decision was a complaint that denounced the equality of the monthly contribution of 15.30 euros, which households in Austria have to pay, regardless of whether they actually access the ORF offers or use them. The judges of the VfGH rejected the complaint and found that the principle of equality was not violated. The contribution is not bound to the actual consumption of the ORF offer, which means that households without a television or radio are also obliged to pay, but have the opportunity to use public service services.

The VfGH emphasized the social role of ORF, which fulfills an important democratic and cultural function. He argues that the obligation to contribute in the entire social interest and the legislator is obliged to ensure the freedom of public discourse. The constitutional right to freedom of expression is also not disproportionately restricted by these regulations.

Details on the ORF contribution control

The lawsuit that denounced the equality of equality argued that households without URF use are financially burdened with the same as those who actually use the offer. However, the VfGH has made it clear that there is no violation of the principle of equality, since the contribution to the main residence in Austria and the operational area is linked. This is a factual and efficient measure to finance the broadcast, even if the outsourcing of ORF-Fe-Zebitts Service GmbH (OBS) led to a certain restructuring . Information from the VfGH .

Another aspect is that the changeover from the device-bound GIS fee to the new ORF contribution was also associated with a reduction in financial burden for many households. The contribution is now 15.30 euros per month, which is less than the earlier GIS fee of 18.59 euros. In Vienna in particular, the burden for full -payers fell by 47 percent, which has a significant impact on households. In addition, many socially weak households, including around 400,000 students and apprentices, are excluded from the ORF contribution, which represents a targeted relief for disadvantaged groups.

The VfGH initiated a mass procedure in March 2025 regarding the various symptoms against the ORF contribution. This procedure is continued with today's decision, and the proceedings pending at the Federal Administrative Court are now being resumed. The OBS is entitled to issue notices to determine the contribution and act under the instructions of the finance minister, which is intended to support the efficiency and transparency of the financial structures of the ORF.