CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 29 juin 2000

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .sFE10DC93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .sA1D3DA2E { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } .s23A41E03 { width:36pt; display:inline-block } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s598389FB { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center; font-size:14pt } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .sED6C3EF5 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:56.7pt; text-align:justify } .sD9A393D5 { margin-top:0pt; margin-left:63.8pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:-7.1pt; text-align:justify } .s37CDBE05 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid } .sCB27B9E { width:16.66pt; display:inline-block } .s9378202A { width:33.05pt; display:inline-block } .s6442AFE5 { width:23.04pt; display:inline-block } .s98A7B623 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid } EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS                       491                     29.6.2000       Press release issued by the Registrar   President of the European Court of Human Rights to appoint three personalities under Portuguese EU Presidency mandate   The President of the European Court of Human Rights, Mr Luzius Wildhaber, today received a letter from the Portuguese Prime Minister, Mr António Guterres, informing him of the following:   “The Prime Minister of Portugal received a mandate to ask the President of the European Court of Human Rights to appoint three personalities who would deliver, on the basis of a thorough examination, a report covering:   - the Austrian Government's commitment to the common European values, in particular concerning the rights of minorities, refugees and immigrants;   - the evolution of the political nature of the FPÖ.   Based on the conclusions of this report the XIV will re-examine their bilateral relations with the Austrian Government.”   In response to the request communicated by the Portuguese Prime Minister, the President answered in the following terms:   “Dear Prime Minister,     I write in response to your letter of today’s date in which, in accordance with the mandate you received, you ask that, as President of the European Court of Human Rights, I should appoint three personalities to draw up a report on certain aspects of the current situation in Austria, notably the Austrian Government’s commitment to common European values and the evolution of the political nature of the FPÖ.     I note that you have informed all the member States of the European Union of this initiative and I understand that, although the text and the mandate were agreed by fourteen of the Governments, all fifteen Governments have agreed to my exercising this function. On that basis I am prepared to accept this responsibility. You will recall that in our discussions I told you that I would not be in a position to appoint a sitting Judge of the European Court of Human Rights as one of the personalities and that otherwise my choice of the persons concerned should be completely free. It is also clear that no time-frame has been established for this exercise and that accordingly I will make a recommendation to the persons appointed that they should submit their report as soon as is feasibly possible. In all other respects I would stress that my responsibility will be confined to appointing the personalities and will not entail any involvement in the substantive aspects of their work.     Finally, I am naturally aware that this task has been entrusted to me in recognition of the independent and impartial character as a judicial institution of the Court over which I have the honour to preside.”   ***   Further information on the Court can be found on its Internet site, the address of which has changed to: http://www.echr.coe.int   Registry of the European Court of Human Rights F – 67075 Strasbourg Cedex Contacts:   Roderick Liddell (telephone: (0)3 88 41 24 92) Or:   Emma Hellyer (telephone: (0)3 90 21 42 15) Fax:   (0)3 88 41 27 91