The Austrian legislature has taken important steps in responding to organized crime with reforms in criminal law. Legislation of 1993 introduced the new statutory offenses of money-laundering and criminal organization. To effectively repress organized criminal activities, these new provisions were followed by laws establishing new types of financial sanctions to strip criminal organizations of their financial basis and consequently of their influence. Existing forfeiture laws and regulations concerning skimming-off profits were completely revised and reenacted in 1997. Austrian criminal law has always penalized conspiracy and formation of a gang. A relatively new statutory crime, criminal organization, was introduced in 1993 and re-enacted in 1996, when a legal definition of organized crime was inserted. Notes