Resolution CM/ResDH(2011)254[1]
Execution of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights
Iosif and others against Romania
(Application No. 10443/03, judgment of 20 December 2007, final on 20 March 2008)
The Committee of Ministers, under the terms of Article 46, paragraph 2, of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which provides that the Committee supervises the execution of final judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (hereinafter “the Convention” and “the Court”);
Having regard to the judgment transmitted by the Court to the Committee once it had become final;
Recalling that the violation of the Convention found by the Court in this case concerns: the lack of access to a court due to the excessive amount of security required to bring an action to cancel a mortgage agreement (violation of article 6, paragraph 1) (see details in Appendix);
Having invited the government of the respondent state to inform the Committee of the measures taken to comply with its obligation under Article 46, paragraph 1, of the Convention to abide by the judgment;
Having examined the information provided by the government in accordance with the Committee’s Rules for the application of Article 46, paragraph 2, of the Convention;
Having satisfied itself that the respondent state paid the applicants the just satisfaction provided in the judgment (see details in Appendix),
Recalling that a finding of violations by the Court requires, over and above the payment of just satisfaction awarded by the Court in its judgments, the adoption by the respondent state, where appropriate:
- of individual measures to put an end to the violations and erase their consequences so as to achieve as far as possible restitutio in integrum; and
- of general measures preventing similar violations;
DECLARES, having examined the measures taken by the respondent state (see Appendix), that it has exercised its functions under Article 46, paragraph 2, of the Convention in this case and
DECIDES to close the examination of this case.
Appendix to Resolution CM/ResDH(2011)254
Information about the measures to comply with the judgment in the case of
Iosif and others against Romania
Introductory case summary
This case concerns the violation of the applicants’ right of access to a court due to the dismissal of their action by the domestic courts in 2003 for non-payment of a security deposit of almost 134 000 EUR required to bring the action (violation of Article 6§1).
The applicants’ action was related to the cancellation of the mortgage they had taken out on their house to guarantee a loan granted to a third party. The competent court reclassified this action as an objection to the enforcement of the mortgage and dismissed it for non-payment of the fixed security deposit representing 20% of the secured loan.
The European Court noted that the obligation to pay an excessively high deposit to bring the action in question deprived the applicants of the possibility of having their case examined on the merits (§60 of the judgment).
I.Payment of just satisfaction and individual measures
a) Details of just satisfaction
Pecuniary damage
Non-pecuniary damage
Costs and expenses
Total
-
5 000 EUR
2 500 EUR
7 500 EUR
Paid on 27/06/2008 (in conditions that seem to be accepted by the applicants)
b) Individual measures
Article 322, paragraph 2, of the Romanian Code of Civil Procedure provides the possibility of reopening civil proceedings in cases in which the European Court has found a violation. In addition, the European Court awarded the applicants just satisfaction in respect of non‑pecuniary damage. In these circumstances, no other individual measure was considered necessary by the Committee of Ministers.
II.General measures
The provision of government emergency ordinance No. 51/1998 which provided the obligation to pay a fixed security deposit to introduce an action against enforcement proceedings was declared unconstitutional by decision No. 39 of 29/01/2004. The Romanian government indicated that the provision in question is no longer in force. At present, objection to enforcement proceedings in similar cases is regulated by the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure. According to the relevant provisions of the Code, the introduction of an action against enforcement proceedings does not require the payment of a security deposit.
III.Conclusions of the respondent state
The government considers that no individual measure is required, apart from the payment of the just satisfaction, that the general measures adopted will prevent similar violations and that Romania has thus complied with its obligations under Article 46, paragraph 1, of the Convention.
[1] Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 2 December 2011 at the 1128th Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies
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