News archive


2016-07-11

History carved in sandstones: preservation of old tombstones in Havadtő

Young Belgian Scouts helped with the preservation work of the tombstones at the cemetery in Havadtő / Viforoasa. Over four hundred sandstone memorials reminisce centuries past in the small town of Maros / Mureș county, in the region's most valuable old cemetery, for the preservation of which the Pro Havadtő Association has worked to raise public awareness in the past few years.

2016-07-08

Transylvanian wines and beer in Europe

European policy makers participated at a Transylvanian wine and beer tasting in Strasbourg at the event organised by the European Parliamentary Association (EPA) following this week’s plenary session of the European Parliament. 

2016-07-06

A strengthened relationship between China and the European Union

Our Chinese friends must understand that the European Union can only strengthen the bond with regions where freedom of speech is an unquestionable value – stated Csaba Sógor in Strasbourg on Wednesday during the European Parliament’s plenary session, where MEPs debated the new EU strategy regarding China. The RMDSZ MEP expressed his hope that the European Commission also envisions implementing the new strategy based on the same ideological grounds.

2016-06-20

Sógor: European Union reports on fundamental rights should focus more on national minorities

Reports of the European Union focus more on the recently arrived migrant communities than on the autochthonous national minorities of  Europe – stated Csaba Sógor during the hearing of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union in 2015. During the public hearing organised on June 16th in the European Parliament, several documents were under discussion: the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights’s (FRA) 2016 report and the European Commission’s 2015 report on the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

2016-06-09

European wholesalers abuse their dominant market positions

The European Parliament aims to discourage unfair trading practices, affecting micro-, small and medium sized enterprises on the European market. SMEs, which make up over 90 percent of the EU’s economic structure, should benefit from a better protection in the food supply chain - concluded the MEPs during the June 6th-9th June Strasbourg plenary session the European Parliament.

2016-06-08

One in ten cigarettes sold illegally in the EU

Illegally smuggled cigarettes and tobacco products cost the member states of the European Union an estimated ten billion Euros per year in lost revenues. In addition to the economic losses, smuggling also undermines public health policies and violates the EU regulations on tobacco manufacturing, distribution and sale - said MEP Csaba Sógor.

2016-05-26

Csaba Sógor: The EU should abolish area based restrictions for broadcasting services

Limiting broadcasts to country boarders is very outdated – stated Csaba Sógor in the European Parliament on Wednesday, during the debate on the digital single market strategy. According to the RMDSZ MEP, despite the business interests, in today's world of possibilities offered by new  technologies it is unacceptable that some citizens can’t view sporting events in the language of their choice, even if they have a subscription for the broadcast provider.

2016-05-13

Csaba Sógor on collective stigmatization outside and within EU Member States

A state regarding its own indigenous national minorities as foreign bodies can lead to social tensions – stated Csaba Sógor in Strasbourg during the debate on the situation of Tatars in the Crimean Peninsula. The DAHR MEP also pointed out that, unfortunately, collective stigmatisation of communities occurs even within the European Union.

2016-05-12

Csaba Sógor: A state’s minority policy is exemplary only if the minorities in question see it as such

The Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages should take into consideration the views of the minority organisations of member states to the largest extent possible. According to Csaba Sógor, this is the only way the Charter can be successfully implemented, and the only way the Committee can give a true assessment of the practical application of minority language rights in a given country. 

2016-05-12

Csaba Sógor: Still more to be done in Europe to reduce income inequalities

In the country where I come from 70 percent of employees are making less than net € 380 per month. What is a middle-class lifestyle in Western Europe is a privilege of the rich in the East – pointed out Csaba Sógor in the European Parliament.