The EP urges Serbia to draft an action plan regarding national minorities
The European Parliament urges Serbia to draft an action plan for resolving the issues of national minorities in a resolution adopted on Wednesday, 11th of March, following a debate on the previous evening. Csaba Sógor commented on the subject saying that he hopes Serbia would set a good example for the member states that fail to meet the Copenhagen criteria after accession to the European Union.
The European Commission’s annual progress report for 2014 enumerates the results Serbia has had concerning European integration and assesses the country's efforts to meet the Copenhagen criteria. The European Parliament adopted a resolution in this respect, emphasizing the need to guarantee the implementation of the legal framework for minority protection in all areas (education, language rights, and access to media and religious ceremonies in the mother tongue).
In the opinion of RMDSZ MEP Csaba Sógor it is most welcome that the Serbian government recognises that the Serbian society can achieve long term development only if the issues of autochthonous national minorities are solved, and relations with the neighbouring countries are good. “I support the motion urging Serbia to draft an action plan for dealing with the specific issues of national minorities. I think that solving the issues of minorities in the Western Balkans should not happen as a result of EU pressure only, but also because of an internal need for normality"- stressed the MEP, who hopes Serbia will set a good example for other member states such as Romania or Slovakia.
The resolution adopted by the European Parliament points out that the cultural diversity of Vojvodina contributes to identity of Serbia, therefore making the protection of the minorities living there, the promotion of multilingualism and the preservation of cultural diversity an issue of mutual interest. It also stresses that the autonomy of Vojvodina should not be weakened, and reminds the Serbian government to immediately propose a bill legislating the capacities and budget for the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina.
