Elisabeth Köstinger

Elisabeth Köstinger (born 22 November 1978) is an Austrian politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Austria. She is a member of the Austrian People's Party, part of the European People's Party.

• Studied journalism, communication and applied cultural studies at the University of Klagenfurt (2003)
• HBLA (College for Occupation in Service Industries Management) in Wolfsberg, Carinthia (1994-1998)
• Secondary School in St. Paul, Carinthia (1990-1994)
• Primary School in Granitztal (1986-1990)
• Completed the AufZaQ course of the Austrian Rural Youth Organisation
• Completed the EDUCA course of the Austrian Young Farmers' Organisation

• Assisted at the Kärnten District Health Insurance Fund (1999-2003)
• Communication sector (2003-2009)

Member of the European Parliament

Köstinger has been a Member of the European Parliament since the 2009 European elections. She sits on the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). Köstinger is also a substitute and vice spokeswoman of the European People's Party (EPP) of the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). In addition, she is vice-chair of the Delegation to the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, a member of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly and also a substitute of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

Besides her committee assignments, Köstinger is a member of the European Parliament Intergroup on Wine, Spirits and Quality Foodstuffs and of the European Parliament Intergroup on Youth Issues.

Role in national politics

At national level Köstinger is a member of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP).

• Head, Granitztal local group of the Rural Youth Organisation (1995-1997)
• District head, Wolfsberg section of the Rural Youth Organisation (1997-2001)
• Regional head, Kärnten section of the Rural Youth Organisation (2001-2002)
• Federal head, Austrian Rural Youth Organisation (2002-2006)
• Delegate of the Austrian Rural Youth Organisation to the European Council of Young Farmers – CEJA (2003-2005)
• Federal head, Austrian Young Farmers' Association (2007-2012)
• Vice-chair of the Austrian Farmers' Federation (since 2009)
• Vice-chair and general manager of the Austrian People’s Party Delegation in the European Parliament (since 2011)
• President of ‘wald.zeit Österreich’ (since 2012)
• President of the Ecosocial Forum Europe (since 2014)
• Substitute of the Austrian People’s Party’s chairman (since 2014)
• Vice-chair of the Political Academy of the Austrian People's Party (since 2015)

In 2016, there were rumors according to which Vice-Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner attempted to make Köstinger Federal Minister of Agriculture, Forests, Environment and Water Management; these efforts failed due to opposition within his party.

On 18 March 2014, Köstinger was awarded with the MEP Award in the category of Agriculture and Rural Development. She has been nominated for her “very professional manner” during the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which she “mastered” as shadow rapporteur.

Köstinger is unmarried and lives in St. Paul, Carinthia.