Parliament Committee Approves GSF Amendment

UNCLAS VIENNA 003201

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EUR/OHI AND EUR/AGS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KNAR PHUM PGOV AU
SUBJECT: Parliament Committee Approves GSF Amendment

REF: VIENNA 3026

THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.


1. (U) On September 22, the Austrian Parliament's
Constitutional Committee approved the draft amendment to
the General Settlement Fund (GSF) Law (reftel). The
change would make possible advance payments to survivors
once legal peace exists. The plan is for the full
parliament to adopt the law in October. By then, the GoA
hopes to have legal peace through withdrawal or dismissal
of the Whiteman case pending in New York (the last class
action suit against Austria). An opposition Green Party
motion to pass the amendment before legal peace exists
received no support from the other parliamentary parties.


2. (SBU) COMMENT: The GoA had originally planned to
submit the amendment to the parliamentary plenary on
September 29. We interpret the delay until October as an
indication that resolution of the Whiteman suit is taking
somewhat longer than the GoA had anticipated.

BROWN