Table of contents Table of contents Page 1 ENGAGEMENT AND ACTIVITY OF THE AUSTRIAN OMBUDSMAN BOARD (AOB) ............................................................... 9 1.1 Development of activities ............................................................................. 9 1.2 Completed cases ......................................................................................... 12 1.3 Contacts with citizens and authorities regarding investigative proceedings in 2006 ..................................................................................... 13 1.4 Information service ....................................................................................... 13 1.5 Involvement of the Austrian Ombudsman Board in handling petitions and citizens’ initiatives directed toward the National Council (Art. 148a para. 3 B-VG (Bundesverfassungsgesetz - Austrian Federal Constitution)) ................................................................................................ 14 Legal assessments - legislative recommendations of the Ombudsman Board ...................................................................................... 18 1.7 Legislative recommendations to date ........................................................... 18 1.8 International Contacts .................................................................................. 19 1.9 Public Relations Work .................................................................................. 23 2 FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS SECTION ..................................................... 25 2.1 Place-name sign dispute – Attempted by-passing of the findings of the VfGH (Verfassungsgerichtshof - Austrian Constitutional Court) (VA BD/4-BKA/06, 16-BKA/06) ................................................................ 25 Fundamental constitutional requirements of the federal constitution (Arts. 18 and 129 et seq. B-VG) ........................................... 30 1.6 2.2 2.2.1 2.2.2 2.3 2.3.1 2.3.2 Rescission of an approval pursuant to Sect. 134a Luftfahrtgesetz (Aviation Act) (VA BD/445-V/05, Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology 15.500/00122-I/PR3/2006) ................................................................................... Non-issuance of an official notification (VA BD/364-V/04) ...................................... 30 34 Right to a fair trial (Art. 6 ECHR) ............................................................... Excessively long duration of proceedings .......................................................... Fee stipulation after 10 years (VA BD/343-V/06) ................................................... 35 35 36 V

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