President of the European Court of Human Rights appoints three "wise persons"

The President of the European Court of Human Rights, Mr Luzius Wildhaber, has informed the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Hubert Védrine, representing the State currently holding the Presidency of the European Union, that, in accordance with the request made to him by the Portuguese Prime Minister, Mr António Guterres, he has appointed three persons to carry out the task of drawing up a report on certain aspects of the situation in Austria.

The three persons appointed are (in alphabetical order) Mr Martti Ahtisaari, former President of Finland, Professor Jochen Frowein, Director of the Max-Planck Institute at Heidelberg, former member and Vice-President of the European Commission of Human Rights, and Mr Marcelino Oreja, former Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Secretary General of the Council of Europe, former member of the Commission of the European Communities.

President Wildhaber’s role in this matter is now at an end. The three appointees will report directly to the State holding the Presidency of the European Union.