Allergy triggers – Land is now declaring war on ragweed


Hay fever, rashes, conjunctivitis and asthma attacks – all these unpleasant symptoms are caused by the ragweed from North America (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), better known as ragweed. In Burgenland, people now want to get rid of the herb by law.

“The plant is not only an aggressive allergen trigger, but also threatens the arable land and thus the harvest. In order to counteract this problem, Burgenland is the first federal state in Austria to pass a ragweed law, ”emphasizes Deputy Governor Astrid Eisenkopf.

Ragweed has spread rapidly in recent decades, especially in eastern Austria. “The weed ragweed is becoming a growing problem. With the new law, we want to curb the population of the plant sustainably, ”said club chairman Robert Hergovich.

Own reporting and coordination office
The bill will arrive in the state parliament on Thursday and will be passed on July 1st. The law also stipulated control measures for property owners. Another important milestone is the establishment of a reporting and coordination office for ragweed control. In addition, ragweed officers are appointed in the districts and the individual communities.