CEDH · CASELAW;REPORTS;ENG — 28 juin 1995

.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. 19165/91                          Friedrich Wilhelm Kremzow                                   against                                     Austria                          REPORT OF THE COMMISSION                          (adopted on 28 June 1995)                              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 Friedrich Wilhelm Kremzow against Austria on 4 October 1991.   It was registered on 6 December 1991 under file No. 19165/91.         The applicant was initially represented by Messrs. W.L. Weh and H. Mühlgassner, lawyers practising in Bregenz and Vienna respectively and subsequently by Mr. R. Soyer, 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 30 November 1994 the Commission (First Chamber) declared admissible the applicant's 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 28 June 1995 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:              Mr.    H. DANELIUS, President            Mrs.   G.H. THUNE            MM.    G. JÖRUNDSSON                  S. TRECHSEL                  J.-C. SOYER                  H.G. SCHERMERS                  F. MARTINEZ                  L. LOUCAIDES                  J.-C. GEUS                  M.A. NOWICKI                  I. CABRAL BARRETO                  J. MUCHA                  D. SVÁBY                                   PART I                           STATEMENT OF THE FACTS   4.     The applicant, born in 1938, is an Austrian national.   5.     On 29 June 1984 the Tax Office (Finanzamt) for the 6th, 7th and 15th District of Vienna instituted criminal proceedings under the Code of Tax Offences (Finanzstrafgesetz) against the applicant on suspicion of evasion of taxes.   On 18 December 1987 the applicant unsuccessfully requested that the criminal proceedings be transferred to the Regional Tax Authority for Vienna, Lower Austria and the Burgenland (Finanz- landesdirektion).   On 9 May 1988 the Tax Office instructed the applicant to submit a written statement on the charges raised against him.   On 18 May 1992 the applicant's case file was transmitted to the Trial Board (Spruchsenat) which on 25 June 1992 discontinued the criminal proceedings against the applicant.   The applicant complains of the length of proceedings instituted against him and invokes Article 6 of the Convention.                                   PART II                              SOLUTION REACHED   6.     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.   7.     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.   8.     By letter of 24 April 1995 the parties submitted the following agreement reached between them:   9.     <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. 18273/91, lodged by Mr. Friedrich Wilhelm Kremzow, declare with a view to a friendly settlement as follows:         1.    The Government of the Republic of Austria will pay to the       applicant a sum of altogether AS 65,000 as compensation in       respect of any possible claims relating to the present       application.   This sum includes AS 15,000 in respect of counsels'       fees and expenses incurred in the proceedings before the       Commission.         This amount will be paid to the applicants' representative Mr.       Richard Soyer in Vienna.         2.    The applicant declares his application settled.         3.    The applicant waives any further claims against the       Republic of Austria relating to the present application."   <German>         "Erklärungen der Parteien zur gütlichen Regelung         In der Beschwerdesache Nr. 19165/91 des Herrn Friedrich Wilhelm Kremzow einigen sich die Parteien unter Bezugnahme auf Artikel 28 Abs. 1 lit. b der Europäischen Konvention zum Schutze der Menschenrechte und Grundfreiheiten auf die nachstehende gütliche Regelung:         1.    Die österreichische Regierung zahlt dem Beschwerdeführ als       Ausgleich für sämtliche etwaige Ansprüche im Zusammenhang mit der       vorliegenden Beschwerde einen Gesamtbetrag von öS 65,000.   Dieser       Betrag umfaßt öS 15,000 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. Richard Soyer in Wien,       überwiesen.         2.    Der Beschwerdeführer erklärt seine oben genannte Beschwerde       als erledigt.         3.    Der Beschwerdeführer verzichtet auf die Geltendmachung       allfälliger weiterer Forderungen gegen die Republik Österreich       im Zusammenhang mit dem der Beschwerde zugrundeliegenden       Sachverhalt."   10.    At its session on 28 June 1995, 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.   11.    For these reasons, the Commission adopted this Report.   Secretary to the First Chamber      President of the First Chamber         (M. F. BUQUICCHIO)                   (C.L. ROZAKIS)