Public hearing on traditional minorities to be organised by the EPP
“As a result of many years of cooperation the issue of traditional national minorities is on the EPP agenda, and it is one of the group's priorities for this mandate”- said MEP Csaba Sógor following the European Peoples' Party’s (EPP) decision to organise a public hearing on the matter in 2015. The MEP stressed, that both the RMDSZ MEPs, and other minority MEPs from Europe lobbied for several years for this issue.
Csaba Sógor spoke on behalf of his colleagues at the EPP workgroup meeting on Tuesday, outlining the situation of traditional national minorities. Following the discussion there was a unanimous decision to organise a public hearing on the matter in 2015.
The RMDSZ MEP underlined that it is a great success that the issue of traditional national minorities is on the EPP agenda as of the EPP Congress in Bucharest, emphasizing that more than ten percent of EU citizens belong to a national traditional minority community. “These communities have been living in these regions for centuries, and have distinct ethnic, cultural, religious or linguistic characteristics", explained the MEP, adding that there is no legal definition for traditional national minorities in EU law, let alone targeted measures for their protection.
“A major improvement took place with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty. Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union now states that “respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities” is a value on which “the Union is founded”, while the Charter of Fundamental Rights explicitly mentions the protection of the rights of traditional national minorities”, said the MEP. Csaba Sógor expressed his concern about the fact that the European Union failed to take advantage of these new legal provisions, which could have led to practical EU measures ensuring that members of traditional minority communities benefit from the same rights the majority community is enjoying. The MEP added: “We have encountered obstacles in fields such as justice, healthcare and education, while in many cases our basic rights, such as the right to own property are still being infringed upon. This public hearing will consolidate the values the EPP is built upon, and will hopefully advance the cause of traditional minorities, summed up Csaba Sógor.
