The LIBE Committee of the EP calls for a framework convention about the protection of national minorities
On Wednesday the most comprehensive report on the protection of national minorities has been adopted by the LIBE Committee of the European Parliament. According to MEP Csaba Sógor, the report urges a number of problems that the Hungarian community in Romania faces day by day. The report confirms the need for a minority protection framework in the EU.
The draft report on the minimum standards for minorities living in the EU by MEP József Nagy has been discussed in the LIBE Committee of the European Parliament since June.
MEP’s Csaba Sógor and Pál Csáky submitted more than fifty amendments to the draft report in order to create a more comprehensive document. These amendments state that the EU’s attitude hasn’t been reasonable in assuming Member States would smoothly ensure minority rights. So far the EU has relied on limited monitorization tools like: UN, Council of Europe and OSCE minority protection recommendations. Therefor the document emphasizes the need to develop a comprehensive EU minority protection system, which is based on high standards and includes a reliable monitorization mechanism.
“With the help of our amendments we marked the difference between measures that aim equal rights for minorities and anti-discrimination measures. Actions against discrimination will not prevent national minorities from assimilation, therefore it would be necessary to create a European legal framework that guarantees national minority protection” - said Csaba Sógor.
The MEP highlighted, that concerning Hungarians in Romania, very important proposals have been included in the document. For example: electoral systems and electoral laws that enhance the participation of national minorities; provision of financial resources from the main budget that help enforce minority rights; individual education systems or specific curricula for minority language students; higher education in native language and experts’ training on their mother tongue, including medical education in minority language.
The MEP highlighted, that concerning Hungarians in Romania, very important proposals have been included in the document. For example: electoral systems and electoral laws that enhance the participation of national minorities; provision of financial resources from the main budget that help enforce minority rights; individual education systems or specific curricula for minority language students; higher education in native language and experts’ training on their mother tongue, including medical education in minority language.
“We managed to include a reference to the Minority SafePack Initiative that expresses through more than one million signatures the European citizens’ need to strengthen minority protection in Europe”- explained the MEP.
The document adopted by the LIBE Committee will be released to vote in plenary by the end of December.
The amendments of MEP Csaba Sógor can be checked out on the following link:
