CEDH · CASELAW;REPORTS;ENG — 15 octobre 1993

.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                          Application No. 15220/89                                    A. S.                                   against                                   Austria                          REPORT OF THE COMMISSION                        (adopted on 15 October 1993)                              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 A.S. against Austria on 5 June 1989. It was registered on 19 July 1989 under file No. 15220/89.         The applicant was represented by Mr. T. Prader, a lawyer practising in Vienna.         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 3 May 1993 the Commission declared admissible the applicant's complaints under Article 8 of the Convention regarding his surveillance by the police from 1970 to 1978 and the storing of the data so obtained, and to this extent also the complaint under Article 13 of the Convention, 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 found that the parties had reached a friendly settlement of the case and on 15 October 1993 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.    C.A. NØRGAARD, President                  S. TRECHSEL                  A. WEITZEL                  F. ERMACORA                  E. BUSUTTIL                  G. JÖRUNDSSON                  A.S. GÖZÜBÜYÜK                  J.-C. SOYER                  H.G. SCHERMERS                  H. DANELIUS            Mrs.   G.H. THUNE            MM.    F. MARTINEZ                  C.L. ROZAKIS            Mrs.   J. LIDDY            MM.    J.-C. GEUS                  M.P. PELLONPÄÄ                  B. MARXER                  G.B. REFFI                  M.A. NOWICKI                  I. CABRAL BARRETO                  B. CONFORTI                  N. BRATZA                                   PART I                           STATEMENT OF THE FACTS   4.     The applicant, born in 1950, is an Austrian national resident in Vienna.   On 25 March 1983 the applicant unsuccessfully applied for the post of a librarian at the Federal Chancellery.   5.     On 15 May 1988 he received from an anonymous sender a copy of his personal file which had been established by the Federal Chancellery upon his job application in 1983. It appeared from this file that the Federal Chancellery had ordered police investigations in respect of the applicant.   The file contained, inter alia, a report by the Vienna Federal Police Department (Bundespolizeidirektion) on police investigations carried out between 1970 and 1978.   The applicant's complaint with the Constitutional Court (Verfassungsgerichtshof) remained unsuccessful.   On 7 November 1991 the Data Protection Commission (Datenschutzkommission) found that the Vienna Federal Police Department had violated Section 1 para. 1 of the Data Protection Act (Datenschutzgesetz) by transferring several data to the Federal Chancellery.   6.     Before the Commission the applicant complained under Article 8 para. 1 of the Convention that the police surveillance from 1970 until 1978, the storage of the data compiled during that period and their transfer to the Federal Chancellery violated his right to respect for his private life and that he had no effective remedy within the meaning of Article 13 of the Convention against those violations.   7.     On 1 May 1993 the Security Police Act (Sicherheitspolizei- gesetz) entered into force which regulates the collecting and processing of personal data by police authorities.                                   PART II                              SOLUTION REACHED   8.     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.   9.     In accordance with the usual practice, the Secretary to the Commission, acting on the Commission's instructions, contacted the parties to explore the possibilities of reaching a friendly settlement.   10.    By letters of 17 August and 6 September 1993 the parties submitted the following agreement reached between them:   <German>         "Erklärungen der Parteien zur gütlichen Regelung         In der Beschwerdesache Nr. 15220/89 des Herrn (Name des Beschwerdeführers) einigen sich die Parteien unter 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 dem Beschwerdeführer       als Ausgleich für sämtliche etwaige Ansprüche im Zusammenhang mit       der vorliegenden Beschwerde einen Gesamtbetrag von öS 130.000,--.       Dieser Betrag umfaßt öS 50.000,-- hinsichtlich der Gebühren und       Auslagen, die im Rahmen des Verfahrens vor der Kommission       entstanden sind.         Dieser Betrag wird an den Verfahrensbevollmächtigten des       Beschwerdeführers Herrn Rechtsanwalt Dr. Thomas Prader in Wien       überwiesen.         2.    Die Republik Österreich verpflichtet sich, die den       Beschwerdeführer betreffende Karteikarte, die im Zuge der       Ermittlungen über seine Person angelegt wurde und die noch       Vorhanden ist, zu vernichten.         3.    Der Beschwerdeführer erklärt seine oben genannte Beschwerde       als erledigt.         4.    Der Beschwerdeführer verzichtet auf die Geltendmachung       allfälliger weiterer Forderungen gegen die Republik Österreich       im Zusammenhang mit dem der Beschwerde zugrundeliegenden       Sachverhalt."   <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. 15220/89, lodged by Mr. (name of the applicant), 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       applicant a sum amounting to altogether AS 130,000 as       compensation in respect of any possible claims relating to the       present application.   This sum includes AS 50,000 in respect of       counsel's fees and expenses incurred in the proceedings before       the Commission.         This amount will be paid to the applicant's representative       Mr. Thomas Prader in Vienna.         2.    The Republic of Austria undertakes to destroy the       applicant's file card which was established in the course of the       investigations concerning him and which is still in existence.         3.    The applicant declares his application settled.         4.    The applicant waives any further claims against the       Republic of Austria relating to the present application."   11.    At its session on 15 October 1993, the Commission noted that the parties had reached an agreement regarding the terms of a settlement. The Commission further noted that on 1 May 1993 the Security Police Act had entered into force which regulates the collecting and processing of personal data by police authorities.         The Commission 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.   Deputy Secretary to the Commission           President of the Commission          (M. de SALVIA)                              (C.A. NORGAARD)