Lexploria

EUROPEAN COMMISSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

FIRST CHAMBER

Application No. 14249/88

L. and T.P.

against

Austria

REPORT OF THE COMMISSION

(adopted on 8 March 1994)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

PART I: STATEMENT OF THE FACTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

PART II: SOLUTION REACHED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

INTRODUCTION

1. This Report relates to the application introduced under

Article 25 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human

Rights and Fundamental Freedoms by L. and T.P. against Austria on

4 June 1987. It was registered on 27 September 1988 under file

No. 14249/88.

The applicants were represented by Mr. R. Wandl, a lawyer

practising in Sankt Pölten.

The Government of Austria were represented by their Agent,

Mr. F. Cede, Ambassador, Head of the International Law Department at

the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

2. On 1 September 1993 the Commission (First Chamber) declared

admissible the applicants' complaint under Article 6 para. 1 of the

Convention relating to the length of the proceedings and declared

inadmissible the remainder of the application. It then proceeded to

carry out its task under Article 28 para. 1 of the Convention which

provides as follows:

"In the event of the Commission accepting a petition referred to

it:

a. it shall, with a view to ascertaining the facts, undertake

together with the representatives of the parties an

examination of the petition and, if need be, an

investigation, for the effective conduct of which the

States concerned shall furnish all necessary facilities,

after an exchange of views with the Commission;

b. it shall at the same time place itself at the disposal of

the parties concerned with a view to securing a friendly

settlement of the matter on the basis of respect for Human

Rights as defined in this Convention."

3. The Commission (First Chamber) found that the parties had reached

a friendly settlement of the case and on 8 March 1994 it adopted this

Report, which, in accordance with Article 28 para. 2 of the Convention,

is confined to a brief statement of the facts and of the solution

reached.

The following members were present when the Report was adopted:

MM. A. WEITZEL, President

C.L. ROZAKIS

F. ERMACORA

E. BUSUTTIL

A.S. GÖZÜBÜYÜK

Mrs. J. LIDDY

MM. M.P. PELLONPÄÄ

B. MARXER

G.B. REFFI

B. CONFORTI

N. BRATZA

I. BÉKÉS

E. KONSTANTINOV

PART I

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

4. The applicant couple are Austrian nationals residing at

Dietersdorf, Lower Austria.

5. On 13 December 1973 the Lower Austrian Agricultural District

Authority (Agrarbezirksbehörde) issued a consolidation plan for

Dietersdorf which included the applicant's land. Upon an appeal by

another party this plan was amended by the Regional Land Reform Board

(Landesagrarsenat) on 25 January 1977. On 5 april 1978 the Supreme

Land Reform Board (Oberster Agrarsenat) dismissed an appeal lodged by

the applicants. On 3 October 1984 the Constitutional Court

(Verfassungsgerichtshof), which had been seized by the applicants,

declared certain provisions of the Lower Austrian Agricultural Land

Planning Act as unconstitutional and on 27 February 1985 quashed the

decision of the Supreme Land Reform Board. On 5 March 1986 the Supreme

Land Reform Board on the basis of amended legislation again dismissed

the applicants' appeal. On 27 November 1986 the Constitutional Court

refused to entertain a complaint lodged by the applicants and referred

the case to the Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof). The

latter dismissed the applicants' complaint on 3 December 1987.

6. The admissible complaint concerns the length of the land

consolidation proceedings (Article 6 para. 1 of the Convention).

PART II

SOLUTION REACHED

7. Following the decision on the admissibility of the application,

the Commission placed itself at the disposal of the parties with a view

to securing a friendly settlement in accordance with

Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the Convention and invited the parties to

submit any proposals they wished to make.

8. In accordance with the usual practice, the Secretary of the

Commission, acting on the Commission's instructions, contacted the

parties to explore the possibilities of reaching a friendly settlement.

9. In the light of the response of parties, the Commission decided

to invite the parties to a meeting in Vienna on 14 February 1994 with

a view to discussing the possibilities of reaching a friendly

settlement. At the meeting, the Commission was represented by

Mr. Ermarcora as Delegate, the Secretary to the Commission and other

members of the Secretariat. As a result of the negotiations, the

parties reached agreement in the terms set out below. This agreement

was confirmed by the parties by letters of 3 and 7 March 1994

respectively.

10. "Statements of the parties with a view to a friendly settlement

With reference to Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the European

Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms,

the parties in the proceedings concerning Application No. 14249/88,

lodged by the applicants L. and T.P., declare with a view to a friendly

settlement, reached with assistance of the European Commission of Human

Rights, as follows:

1. The Government of the Republic of Austria will pay to the

applicants a sum of AS 25,000 as compensation in respect of any

possible claims relating to the present application, as well as

AS 25,000 in respect of costs incurred in the proceedings before

the Commission.

2. The applicants declare their application settled.

3. The applicants waive any further claims against the

Republic of Austria relating to the length of the domestic

proceedings, which was the issue of the application."

"Erklärungen der Parteien zur gütlichen Regelung

In der Individualbeschwerde Nr. 14249/88 der Beschwerdeführer L.

und T.P. verständigen sich die Parteien unter Bezugnahme auf

Artikel 28 Abs. 1 b) der Europäischen Konvention zum Schutze der

Menschenrechte und Grundfreiheiten und unter Mitwirkung der

Europäischen Kommission für Menschenrechte auf die nachstehende

gütliche Regelung:

1. Die Regierung der Republik Österreich zahlt den

Beschwerdeführen als Ausgleich für sämtliche etwaige Ansprüche

im Zusammenhang mit der vorliegenden Individualbeschwerde einen

Betrag von öS 25.000 sowie ihre durch das Beschwerdeverfahren

entstandenen Kosten in Höhe von öS 25.000.

2. Die Beschwerdeführer erklären ihre oben genannte Beschwerde

als erledigt.

4. Die Beschwerdeführer verzichten auf die Geltendmachung

allfälliger weiterer Forderungen gegen Österreich im Zusammenhang

mit der Dauer des innerstaatlichen Verfahrens, die Gegenstand der

Beschwerde ist."

11. At its session on 8 March 1994, the Commission noted that the

parties had reached an agreement regarding the terms of a settlement.

If further considered, having regard to Article 28 para. 1 (b)

of the Convention, that the friendly settlement of the case had been

secured on the basis of respect for Human Rights as defined in the

Convention.

12. For these reasons, the Commission adopted this Report.

Secretary to the First Chamber President of the First Chamber

(M. F. BUQUICCHIO) (A. WEITZEL)

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L. AND T.P. v. AUSTRIA

L. AND T.P. v. AUSTRIA

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