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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