Preface The present volume is a very abbreviated version of the original report compiled in German and consists of a general section, which describes the activities of the three members of the Austrian Ombudsman Board. In the following some cases involving human rights shall be mentioned. The Ombudsman Board decided to add a special chapter on human rights to the annual reports beginning with the report on the year 2001. In this context also the present report deals with legal problems relating to human rights which the Ombudsman Board had to solve in 2003 when assessing complaints about administrative misconduct and infringements of legal provisions by federal and state authorities. So throughout the years a comprehensive mosaic about the human rights situation in Austria shall be created. This report is submitted not only to the National Council but also to the Federal Council in accordance with the amendment to Art. 148d of the Federal Constitutional dated 13/8/1997, Federal Law Gazette 1997/87. Both the original report written in German and the English translation are available free of charge from the Office of the Austrian Ombudsman Board (Volksanwaltschaft). Ombudsman Mr. Dr. Peter Kostelka Ombudsman Mr. Mag. Ewald Stadler Ombudsman Mrs. Rosemarie Bauer Vienna, December 2004 Volksanwaltschaft (Office of the Austrian Ombudsman Board) A-1015 Vienna, Singerstraße 17, P.O.Box 20 Telephone:+43/1/51 505 Telefax:+43/1/51 505/150 E-mail: post@volksanwaltschaft.gv.at Internet: http://www.volksanwaltschaft.gv.at

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