PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 35019/97) against the Republic of Austria lodged with the European Commission of Human Rights (“the Commission”) under former Article 25 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by an Austrian national, Helmut Ludescher (“the applicant”), on 16 January 1997.

The applicant was represented before the Court by Mr W.L. Weh, a lawyer practising in Bregenz (Austria). The Austrian Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Ambassador H. Winkler, Head of the International Law Department at the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The applicant alleged in particular that proceedings concerning a reforesting order were not concluded within a reasonable time.

The application was transmitted to the Court on 1 November 1998, when Protocol No. 11 to the Convention came into force (Article 5 § 2 of Protocol No. 11).

The application was allocated to the Third Section of the Court (Rule 52 § 1 of the Rules of Court). Within that Section, the Chamber that would consider the case (Article 27 § 1 of the Convention) was constituted as provided in Rule 26 § 1 of the Rules of Court.

By a decision of 7 September 1999 the Court declared the application partly inadmissible. By a decision of the 23 January 2001 the Court declared the remainder of the applications admissible.

As from 1 November 2001 the application was reallocated to the First Section of the Court. Within that Section, the Chamber that would consider the case (Article 27 § 1 of the Convention) was constituted as provided in Rule 26 § 1 of the Rules of Court.

Neither the applicant nor the Government filed observations on the merits (Rule 59 § 1).

THE FACTS

On 19 March 1991 the Feldkirch District Administrative Authority (Bezirkshauptmannschaft), referring to the relevant provisions of the Forestry Act (Forstgesetz), ordered the applicant to reforest a plot of land owned by him. In its decision, the authority specified that the applicant should plant 270 larches. In its reasoning, it noted that until October 1986 the northern part of the plot of land had been fully covered with larches and robinias and that the previous stock of trees was shown by the still existing stumps. Following the unlawful felling of the forest, the applicant had used the land as a sheep-run.

On 4 July 1991 Vorarlberg Regional Government (Landeshauptmann) dismissed the applicant’s appeal.

On 18 September 1991 the Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof), upon the applicant’s complaint dated 26 August 1991, opened proceedings and requested the Vorarlberg Regional Government to file observations within a period of eight weeks. These observations were received by the Administrative Court on 25 October 1991.

On 24 June 1996 the Administrative Court dismissed the applicant’s complaint. The decision was served on 17 July 1996.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e1
001-60002_a11_em1
CODE
DIRECT
35019/97
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e2
001-60002_a11_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
Republic of Austria
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e3
001-60002_a11_em3
DEM
NO_MASK
Austrian
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e4
001-60002_a11_em4
PERSON
DIRECT
Helmut Ludescher
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e5
001-60002_a11_em5
DATETIME
QUASI
16 January 1997
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e6
001-60002_a11_em6
PERSON
QUASI
Mr W.L. Weh
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e7
001-60002_a11_em7
LOC
NO_MASK
Bregenz
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-60002_a11_e8
001-60002_a11_em8
LOC
NO_MASK
Austria
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e2
001-60002_a11_em9
ORG
NO_MASK
001-60002_a11_em2
Austrian Government
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-60002_a11_e2
001-60002_a11_em10
ORG
NO_MASK
001-60002_a11_em2
Government
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e9
001-60002_a11_em11
PERSON
QUASI
H. Winkler
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e10
001-60002_a11_em12
ORG
NO_MASK
International Law Department
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e11
001-60002_a11_em13
ORG
NO_MASK
Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e12
001-60002_a11_em14
DATETIME
QUASI
7 September 1999
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e13
001-60002_a11_em15
DATETIME
QUASI
23 January 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-60002_a11_e14
001-60002_a11_em16
DATETIME
QUASI
1 November 2001
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e2
001-60002_a11_em17
ORG
NO_MASK
Government
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e15
001-60002_a11_em18
DATETIME
QUASI
19 March 1991
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e16
001-60002_a11_em19
ORG
NO_MASK
Feldkirch District Administrative Authority
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-60002_a11_e17
001-60002_a11_em20
ORG
NO_MASK
Bezirkshauptmannschaft
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-60002_a11_e18
001-60002_a11_em21
MISC
QUASI
Forestry Act
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-60002_a11_e18
001-60002_a11_em22
MISC
QUASI
001-60002_a11_em21
Forstgesetz
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-60002_a11_e19
001-60002_a11_em23
MISC
QUASI
reforest a plot of land
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-60002_a11_e20
001-60002_a11_em24
QUANTITY
QUASI
270 larches
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e21
001-60002_a11_em25
DATETIME
QUASI
October 1986
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-60002_a11_e22
001-60002_a11_em26
MISC
QUASI
unlawful felling of the forest
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e23
001-60002_a11_em27
DATETIME
QUASI
4 July 1991
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-60002_a11_e24
001-60002_a11_em28
ORG
NO_MASK
Vorarlberg Regional Government
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e2
001-60002_a11_em29
ORG
NO_MASK
Government
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-60002_a11_e25
001-60002_a11_em30
ORG
NO_MASK
Landeshauptmann
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e26
001-60002_a11_em31
DATETIME
QUASI
18 September 1991
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e27
001-60002_a11_em32
ORG
NO_MASK
Administrative Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-60002_a11_e27
001-60002_a11_em33
ORG
NO_MASK
001-60002_a11_em32
Verwaltungsgerichtshof
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e28
001-60002_a11_em34
DATETIME
QUASI
26 August 1991
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e24
001-60002_a11_em35
ORG
NO_MASK
Vorarlberg Regional Government
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e29
001-60002_a11_em36
DATETIME
NO_MASK
period of eight weeks
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e27
001-60002_a11_em37
ORG
NO_MASK
Administrative Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e30
001-60002_a11_em38
DATETIME
QUASI
25 October 1991
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e31
001-60002_a11_em39
DATETIME
QUASI
24 June 1996
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e27
001-60002_a11_em40
ORG
NO_MASK
Administrative Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-60002_a11_e32
001-60002_a11_em41
DATETIME
QUASI
17 July 1996
Helmut Ludescher
AUT
CHAMBER
Task: Annotate the document to anonymise the following person: Helmut Ludescher