CEDH · CASELAW;REPORTS;ENG — 15 janvier 1977

.sDD6737AE { font-size:11pt } .s211D6B00 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; line-height:normal; widows:0; orphans:0; font-size:8.5pt } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial }                        EUROPEAN COMMISSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS                                FIRST CHAMBER                          Application No. 22351/93                         Erich Fenzel and Ernst Köllner                                   against                                   Austria                          REPORT OF THE COMMISSION                        (adopted on 15 January 1997)                              TABLE OF CONTENTS                                                                    Page   INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1   PART I   :   STATEMENT OF THE FACTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3   PART II :   SOLUTION REACHED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4                                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 Erich Fenzel and Ernst Köllner against Austria on 8 April 1993.   It was registered on 27 July 1993 under file No. 22351/93.   2.     The applicants were represented by Dr. G. Grießer, a lawyer practising in Vienna.   3.     The Government of Austria were represented by their Agent, Ambassador F. Cede, Head of the International Law Department at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.   4.     On 15 May 1996 the Commission (First Chamber) declared the application partially admissible insofar as it concerns the applicants' complaint that they were not heard as regards the permission to terminate their contracts of employment under SS. 20 b and c of the Composition with Creditors Act.   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."   5.     The Commission (First Chamber) found that the parties had reached a friendly settlement of the case and on 15 January 1997 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.   6.     The following members were present when the Report was adopted:              Mrs.   J. LIDDY, President            MM.    E. BUSUTTIL                  L. LOUCAIDES                  B. MARXER                  B. CONFORTI                  N. BRATZA                  I. BÉKÉS                  G. RESS                  A. PERENIC                  C. BÎRSAN                  K. HERNDL                  M. VILA AMIGÓ            Mrs.   M. HION                                   PART I                           STATEMENT OF THE FACTS   7.     The applicants are both Austrian citizens, born in 1944 and 1937, respectively, and resident in Vienna.   8.     In the context of composition with creditors proceedings, the applicants' employer company requested the Vienna Commercial Court (Handelsgericht) for permission to terminate their contracts of employment under SS. 20 b and c of the Composition with Creditors Act (Ausgleichsordnung). These provisions, in the version which was in force at the time of the relevant facts, allowed the court, without being obliged to hear the persons concerned, to grant a debtor permission to terminate contracts of employment. The debtor had to respect the period of notice (Kündigungsfrist) provided for in a law or in collective agreement, but was not bound by a longer period of notice which might have been agreed upon in a specific contract.   9.     On 25 January 1990 the Vienna Commercial Court, without hearing the applicants, granted their employer company permission to terminate their contracts of employment in accordance with SS. 20 b and c of the Composition with Creditors Act.   10.    On 31 January 1990 the employer company, referring to the Commercial Court's permission, gave the applicants' notice of the termination of their contracts of employment with effect from 30 June 1990.   11.    On 31 January 1991 the Vienna Labour and Social Court (Arbeits- und Sozialgericht), in proceedings under the Insolvency Continued Payment Act (Insolvenz-Entgeltsicherungsgesetz) found that the period of notice provided for by law was three months in case of the first and two months in case of the second applicant.   A longer period of notice, namely five months, which had formed part of their contracts could be disregarded by their employer. Although the employer company had only dismissed them with effect of 30 June 1990, it could have dismissed the first applicant with effect of 30 April and the second applicant with effect of 31 March 1990. As the Insolvency Continued Payment Act only provided payment until the end of the period of notice provided for by law, they were only entitled to payment until 30 April and 31 March 1990, respectively. The applicant's appeals were dismissed by the Vienna Court of Appeal (Oberlandesgericht) and, finally, by the Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof).   12.    Before the Commission, the applicants complained under Article 6 of the Convention that they were not heard by the Vienna Commercial Court prior to its decision of 25 January 1990. They considered that this decision directly affected their civil rights in that their claims relating to their employment were reduced. In particular their employer was allowed to disregard the period of notice provided for in their contracts and they were not fully compensated under the Insolvency Continued Payment Act. Further the applicants complained under Article 4 of the Convention and under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 alone and in combination with Article 14 of the Convention.                                   PART II                              SOLUTION REACHED   13.    Following the decision on the admissibility of the application, the Commission (First Chamber) 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.   14.    In accordance with the usual practice, the Chamber Secretary, acting on the Commission's instructions, contacted the parties to explore the possibilities of reaching a friendly settlement.   15.    By letters of 18 November 1996 and 21 November 1996, respectively, the applicants and the respondent Government informed the Commission that they had agreed on the terms of a friendly settlement, and submitted the following declaration.   <Translation>         "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. 22351/93 lodged by Erich Fenzel and Ernst Köllner, declare with a view to a friendly settlement, reached with the assistance of the European Commission of Human Rights, as follows:         1.    The Government of the Republic of Austria will pay the       applicants a sum amounting to altogether AS 40,000 as       compensation in respect of any possible claims relating to the       present application. This sum is composed of an amount of AS       10,000 for each of the two applicants and an amount of AS 20,000       in respect of the counsel's fees and expenses incurred in the       proceedings before the Commission.         This amount will be paid to the applicant's counsel,       Mr. G. Grießer in Vienna.         2.    The applicants declare their application settled.         3.    The applicants waive any further claims against the       Republic of Austria relating to the present application."   <German>              "Erklärungen der Parteien zur gütlichen Regelung         In der Beschwerdesache Nr. 22351/93 der Herrn Erich Fenzel und Ernst Köllner einigen sich die Parteien under Bezugnahme auf Artikel 28 Abs. 1 lit 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 österreichische Regierung zahlt den Beschwerdeführern       als Ausgleich für sämtliche etwaige Ansprüche im Zusammenhang mit       der vorliegenden Beschwerde einen Gesamtbetrag von öS 40,000.       Dieser Betrag setzt sich zusammen aus einem Betrag von öS 10,000       für jeden der zwei Beschwerdeführer und einem Betrag von       öS 20,000 hinsichtlich der Gebühren und Auslagen, die im Rahmen       des Verfahrens vor der Kommission entstanden sind.         Dieser Betrag wird an den Verfahrensbevollmächtigten der       Beschwerdeführer Herrn Rechtsanwalt Dr. Georg Griesser in Wien       überwiesen.         2.    Die Beschwerdeführer erklären ihre oben genannte Beschwerde       als erledigt.         3.    Die Beschwerdeführer verzichten auf die Geltendmachung       allfälliger weiterer Forderungen gegen die Republik Österreich       im Zusammenhang mit dem der Beschwerde zugrundeliegenden       Sachverhalt."   16.    At its session on 15 January 1997, the Commission noted that the parties had reached an agreement regarding the terms of a settlement. It 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.   17.    For these reasons, the Commission adopted the present Report.          M.F. BUQUICCHIO                             J. LIDDY           Secretary                                President      to the First Chamber                    of the First Chamber