22. In connection with its consideration of reports, the Committee also had before it: (a) General guidelines regarding the form and contents of initial reports to be submitted by States parties under article 19, paragraph 1, of the Convention (CAT/C/4/Rev.2); (b) General guidelines regarding the form and contents of periodic reports to be submitted by States parties under article 19 of the Convention (CAT/C/14/Rev.1). 23. The Committee has adopted a new format for these as a result of consultations held by the Inter-Committee Meeting and the meeting of Chairpersons of the human rights treaty bodies. The text of conclusions and recommendations adopted by the Committee with respect to the above-mentioned States parties’ reports is reproduced below: 24. Austria (1) The Committee considered the third periodic report of Austria (CAT/C/34/Add.18) at its 679th and 680th meetings (CAT/C/SR.679 and 680), held on 16 and 17 November 2005, and adopted, at its 691st meeting held on 24 November 2005, the following conclusions and recommendations. A. Introduction (2) The Committee welcomes the submission of the third periodic report of Austria, which was prepared in accordance with the Committee’s guidelines. It notes, however, that the report was submitted with a three-year delay. The Committee appreciates the constructive dialogue with the high-level delegation and commends the comprehensive written responses provided to the list of issues (CAT/C/35/L/AUT), as well as the oral information provided by the State party’s delegation during the consideration of the report. B. Positive aspects (3) The Committee welcomes the assurances of the State party regarding the relationship between the observance of human rights standards and the fight against terrorism, that it will adhere strictly to the guidelines adopted in 2002 by the Council of Europe on human rights and the fight against terrorism, and that it will work during its presidency of the European Union (January-June 2006) to further strengthen the commitment towards the absolute nature of the prohibition of torture. (4) The Committee notes with satisfaction the ongoing efforts made by the State party to revise its legislation and adopt other necessary measures in order to ensure better protection of human rights and give effect to the Convention, including: (a) The adoption of the Criminal Procedure Reform Act and the amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure, both of which will come into effect on 1 January 2008. In particular, the Committee welcomes the new provisions regarding: (i) The prohibition of the use of statements that were obtained by means of torture, coercion, deception or other inadmissible methods of interrogation to the detriment of the defendant; (ii) The express reference to the right of the defendant to remain silent; 7