FOURTH SECTION
CASE OF AVANTECH CONT S.R.L. AND OTHERS v. ROMANIA
(Applications nos. 6969/19 and 3 others – see appended list)
JUDGMENT
STRASBOURG
25 September 2025
This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.
In the case of Avantech Cont S.R.L. and Others v. Romania,
The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:
Anne Louise Bormann, President,
Sebastian Raduletu,
András Jakab, judges,
and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having deliberated in private on 4 September 2025,
Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:
PROCEDURE
1. The case originated in applications against Romania lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) on the various dates indicated in the appended table.
2. The Romanian Government (“the Government”) were given notice of the applications.
THE FACTS
3. The list of applicants and the relevant details of the applications are set out in the appended table.
4. The applicants complained of the non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of domestic decisions.
THE LAW
JOINDER OF THE APPLICATIONS5. Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single judgment.
ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 6 § 1 OF THE CONVENTION AND OF ARTICLE 1 OF PROTOCOL No. 16. The applicants complained of the non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of domestic decisions given in their favour. They relied, expressly or in substance, on Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and on Article 1 of Protocol No. 1.
7. The Court reiterates that the execution of a judgment given by any court must be regarded as an integral part of a “hearing” for the purposes of Article 6. It also refers to its case-law concerning the non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of final domestic judgments (see Hornsby v. Greece, no. 18357/91, § 40, Reports of Judgments and Decisions 1997‑II).
8. In the leading case of Foundation Hostel for Students of the Reformed Church and Stanomirescu v. Romania, nos. 2699/03 and 43597/07, 7 January 2014, the Court already found a violation in respect of issues similar to those in the present case.
9. The Court further notes that the decisions in the present applications ordered payment of various amounts of money to the applicants or ordered other specific actions to be taken by various public authorities (see the appended table for details of court orders). The Court therefore considers that the decisions in question constitute “possessions” within the meaning of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1.
10. Having examined all the material submitted to it, the Court has not found any fact or argument capable of persuading it to reach a different conclusion on the admissibility and merits of these complaints. Having regard to its case-law on the subject, the Court considers that in the instant case the authorities did not deploy all necessary efforts to enforce fully and in due time the decisions in the applicants’ favour.
11. These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1.
OTHER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF THE CONVENTION12. In application no. 6969/19, the applicant company also complained about the inability to obtain damages for loss of profit due to the impossibility to build on its land. The Court has carefully examined the complaint and considers that, in the light of all the material in its possession, it should be dismissed as manifestly ill-founded pursuant to Article 35 §§ 3 and 4 of the Convention.
APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION13. Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case‑law (see, in particular, Foundation Hostel for Students of the Reformed Church and Stanomirescu, cited above), the Court considers it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table.
14. The Court further notes that the respondent State has an outstanding obligation to enforce the judgments which remain fully or partially unenforced.
FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY,
Decides to join the applications;Declares the complaints concerning the non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of domestic decisions, as indicated in the appended table, admissible, and the remainder of application no. 6969/19 inadmissible;Holds that these applications disclose a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 concerning the non‑enforcement or delayed enforcement of domestic decisions;Holds that the respondent State shall ensure, by appropriate means, within three months, the full enforcement of the pending domestic decisions referred to in the appended table;Holds(a) that the respondent State is to pay the applicants, within three months, the amounts indicated in the appended table, to be converted into the currency of the respondent State at the rate applicable at the date of settlement;
(b) that from the expiry of the above-mentioned three months until settlement simple interest shall be payable on the above amounts at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points.
Done in English, and notified in writing on 25 September 2025, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.
Viktoriya Maradudina Anne Louise Bormann
Acting Deputy Registrar President
APPENDIX
List of applications raising complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1
(non-enforcement or delayed enforcement of domestic decisions)
No.
Application no.
Date of introduction
Applicant’s name
Year of birth/registration
Representative’s name and location
Relevant domestic decision
Start date of non-enforcement period
End date of non‑enforcement period
Length of enforcement proceedings
Domestic order
Amount awarded for non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant
(in euros)
[1]
6969/19
15/01/2019
AVANTECH CONT S.R.L.
2002
Constanța County Court, 21/06/2012
Constanța County Court, 27/10/2015
21/06/2012
27/10/2015
27/04/2023
10 year(s) and 10 month(s) and 7 day(s)
pending
More than 9 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 20 day(s)
Orders the Mayor’s Office and the Constanța City Hall to elaborate and approve the Zonal Urban Plan;
File no. 14385/118/2011
Orders the public authorities to pay penalties until enforcement of the final decision of the Constanța County Court of 21/06/2012;
File no. 5046/118/2015
7,800
55860/19
08/10/2019
Aurelia-Auruța FOCȘA
1957
Diana Șerban
Suceava
Suceava County Court, 19/11/2018
25/03/2019
pending
More than 6 year(s) and 2 month(s) and 18 day(s)
Order to recalculate the applicant’s salary and to pay the remainder; File no. 3924/86/2017*
7,800
10059/20
04/02/2020
Teofil-Sebastian POP
1967
Caraș-Severin County Court, 26/02/2013
12/09/2013
04/02/2014
22 June 2015
1 year, 9 months, and 14 day(s)
(order to reinstate the applicant in his former job)
pending
More than 11 year(s) and 4 month(s) and 8 day(s)
(order to pay the due salary for the period 4 February 2014-21 June 2015)
Order to reinstate the applicant in his former job and to pay the due salary;
File no. 5043/115/2012
7,800
20406/20
24/04/2020
Ştefan FLOREA
1957
Sibiu County Court, 18/04/2013
07/11/2013
More than 11 year(s) and 7 month(s) and 5 day(s)
Order to recalculate the applicant’s pension rights and to pay the remainder;
File no. 2593/85/2012
7,800
[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.