Awaiting committee decision
2018/2036(INI) Minimum standards for minorities in the EU
Lead committee dossier: LIBE/8/12424
Legal Basis RoP 52
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opinion | CULT | BOCSKOR Andrea (EPP) | |
| Lead | LIBE | NAGY József (EPP) | POST Soraya (S&D), ŠKRIPEK Branislav (ECR), MLINAR Angelika (ALDE), ALBIOL GUZMÁN Marina (GUE/NGL), VALERO Bodil (Verts/ALE), VILIMSKY Harald (ENF) |
| Opinion | PETI |
Legal Basis RoP 52
Activites
-
2018/10/22
Indicative plenary sitting date, 1st reading/single reading
-
2018/03/15
Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
Documents
| Amendments | Dossier |
| 477 |
2018/2036(INI)
2018/06/22
LIBE
340 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 – having regard to Articles 2 and 3(3) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), and Article 19 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which gives the Union a political mandate to take appropriate action to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 4 a (new) – having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol (A/RES/61/106) adopted on 13 December 2006,
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – introductory part 1. Recalls that while protection of minorities is a part of the Copenhagen criteria, both for the candidate countries and for the Member States, there is no guarantee that candidate states stick to the commitments undertaken under the Copenhagen criteria once they became Member States;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – introductory part 1. Recalls that while protection of minorities is a part of the Copenhagen criteria, both for the candidate countries and for the Member States, there is no guarantee that candidate states stick to the commitments undertaken under the Copenhagen criteria once they became Member States; recalls that there is no standard for minority rights in Union policy nor a common understanding of who can be considered a
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 1 Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 1 Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 1 Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 1 Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 1 – reside on the territory of that state and are citizens thereof,
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 1 – historically reside on the territory of that state,
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 2 Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 2 Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 4 a (new) – having regard to Article 21 of the UN convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 2 Amendment 111 #
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 2 – historically maintain longstanding, firm and lasting ties with that state,
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 3 Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 3 Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 3 Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 3 – display distinctive ethnic, cultural, historical, religious or linguistic characteristics,
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 4 Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 4 Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 4 Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 6 a (new) – having regard to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Resolution 2153 (2017) – Promoting the inclusion of Roma and Travellers,
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 4 Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 5 Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 5 Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 5 Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – indent 5 a (new) – recalls that under this definition, grounds to be considered a minority do not include sexual identity, practice or orientation;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Highlights that the FCNM and the Language Charter are major achievements of the international minority protection system and important international standard-setting tools for States-Parties; points out, however, that beside the fact that not all EU Member States signed the FCNM and the Language Charter, the effect of the agreements is weakened by a slow ratification process, the reservations made by the Parties and, not least, by a lack of scrutiny powers, which makes them dependent on the good will of states; whereas systematic non-implementation of judgements, decisions and recommendations also leads to a normalisation of non-compliance with the two international instruments;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Recalls that within existing international standards every Member States has a right to define persons belonging to national minorities.
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Recall that a series of political orientations should be promoted to enhance a legal and agreed democratic solution to conflicts involving sovereignty, co-sovereignty or interdependence that may occur within a Member State. The key is to apply principles such as those that supported Canada’s law of clarity. Neither party can impose their point of view nor can one prevent debates on these matters. Majorities must be established in order to be able to take decisions in this area and deadlines to avoid constantly repeating consultations on this type of decision. Additionally, the process to enable the permanence in the Union, of an eventual new State resulting from a potential process of assumption in peace, freedom and democracy, of its own destiny within a Member State, should be studied through a simplified system.
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Recalls that, in accordance with Article 17(1) of the TEU, the Commission, as guardian of the Treaties, has the legitimacy and authority to ensure that all the Member States are upholding the rule of law and other values referred to in Article 2 of the TEU; considers, therefore, that the measures taken by the Commission to carry out the task and to ensure that the conditions which existed before a Member State’s accession are still being fulfilled do not violate the sovereignty of the Member States;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 7 a (new) – having regard to the Council of Europe’s Congress of local and regional Authorities Resolution 424 (2017) - Regional and minority languages in Europe today,
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Notes that parts of the provisions of the FCNM and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (‘Language Charter’) may fall within the competences of the EU, and recalls the FRA’s conclusion that whereas the Union does not have overall legislative competence to rule on the protection of national minorities as such, it ‘may rule on a variety of issues that affect persons belonging to national minorities’;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Expresses that there is
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Expresses that there is a need for a legislative proposal on minimum standards of protection of minorities in the EU, for improving the situation of minorities in all the Member States and to avoid double standards, while respecting the principle of subsidiarity and proportionality, and after carrying out a proper impact assessment; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that their legal systems guarantee that persons belonging to a minority are not discriminated against, and to take and implement targeted protection measures based on relevant international standards; welcomes in this regard the successful campaign of the European Citizens’ Initiative entitled ‘Minority Safepack’ that calls for a European framework for the protection of autochthonous, historical minorities, nationalities and language groups;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Expresses that there is a need for a legislative proposal on minimum standards of protection of minorities in the EU, for improving the situation of minorities and for protecting the already existing rights in all the Member States and to avoid double standards, while respecting the principle of subsidiarity and proportionality, and after carrying out a proper impact assessment; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that their legal systems guarantee that persons belonging to a minority are not discriminated against, and
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Expresses that there is a need for
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls on the Commission to consider the implementation of minority rights to be incorporated into all possible subparts of the EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights as a comprehensive tool 1a introducing the minority perspective into its DRF Pact proposal. Recalls in that regard the request made in its resolution of 25 October 2016 on an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, and reiterates its request to the Commission to submit a proposal for the conclusion of a Union Pact for Democracy, the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights (DRF Pact) ; _________________ 1aAs suggested in a recent study requested by the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and commissioned, overseen and published by the Policy Department for Citizen’s Rights and Constitutional Affairs, “Towards a comprehensive EU protection system for minorities”
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 a (new) – having regard to the Declaration of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the Rise of Anti- Gypsyism and racist violence against Roma in Europe, adopted on 1 February 2012,
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Member States, while safeguarding the national citizenship, and calls on the Commission, while promoting the European identity and common values, to fill the legislative gaps with regards to minority rights, to safeguard the right of national minorities to preserve, protect and develop their own identity, and to take the necessary steps to ensure the effective participation of national minorities in social, economic and cultural life and in public affairs;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Member States
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Member States
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Member States, while safeguarding the national citizenship, and calls on the Commission, while promoting the European identity and common values, to safeguard the right of persons belonging to national minorities to preserve, protect and develop their own identity, and to take the necessary steps to ensure the effective participation of national minorities in social, economic and cultural life and in public affairs;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Member States, while safeguarding the national citizenship, and calls on the Commission, while promoting the European identity and common values, to safeguard the right of national minorities to preserve, protect and develop their own identity, and to take the necessary steps to ensure the effective participation of national minorities in social, economic, political and cultural life and in public affairs;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Member States, while safeguarding the national citizenship, and calls on the Commission, while promoting the European identity and common values, to safeguard the right of national minorities to preserve, protect and develop their own identity, and to take the necessary steps to ensure the effective participation of national minorities in social, economic
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Believes that electoral legislation should encourage national minorities to seek proper representation in public authorities;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the Member States to consider ratifying, and the European Union to consider acced
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 b (new) – having regard to General Policy Recommendation No 13 of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) on combating anti- Gypsyism and discrimination against Roma,
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the Member States to ratify, and the European Union to accede to, the FCNM and the Language Charter and to respect the principles laid down in these documents; calls on the Member States and the Commission to refrain from acts that go against the principles laid down in these documents;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Declares its support for the “Minority Safepack” European Citizens Initiative and invites the Commission to submit relevant legislative proposals in line with this initiative;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Recalls that common and minimum standards to protect the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities should be developed, taking account of best practices already used within the Member States, such as in Italy (Alto Adige/South Tyro)l, in Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) or in Finland, following the procedural principles of good neighbourliness, friendly relations and co-operation between the Member States, and on the basis of the implementation of international standards and norms; and that the adoption of the common and minimum standards should not diminish the already existing rights and standards protecting the persons belonging to minorities; recalls the implementation of the commitments adopted and principles developed in the framework of the OSCE, particularly in its thematic recommendations and guidelines; recalls that the Commission has already taken these standards into account in the context of the Copenhagen criteria during the accession negotiations with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Cyprus, Malta, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and the current candidate countries;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Recalls that common and minimum standards to protect the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities should be developed, taking account of best practices already used within the Member States, such as in Italy (Alto Adige/South Tyro)l, in Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) or in Finland, following the procedural principles of good neighbourliness, friendly relations and co-operation between the Member States, and on the basis of the implementation of international standards and norms; recalls the implementation of the commitments adopted and principles developed in the framework of the OSCE, particularly in its thematic recommendations and guidelines; recalls that the Commission has already taken these standards into account in the context of the Copenhagen criteria during the accession negotiations with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Cyprus, Malta, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and the current candidate countries; Calls on the Commission in that regard to apply the same standards to all EU Member states;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Recalls that common and minimum standards to protect the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities should be developed in the EU, taking account of best practices already used within the Member States, such as in Italy (Alto Adige/South Tyro)l, in Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) or in Finland, following the procedural principles of good neighbourliness, friendly relations and co- operation between the Member States, and on the basis of the implementation of international standards and norms; recalls the implementation of the commitments adopted and principles developed in the framework of the OSCE, particularly in its thematic recommendations and guidelines; recalls that the Commission has already taken these standards into account in the context of the Copenhagen criteria during the accession negotiations with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Cyprus, Malta, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and the current candidate countries;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Recalls that common and minimum standards to protect the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities should be
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Recognises the important role of civil society and non-governmental organisations as “watchdogs” of state compliance with minority protection standards while combating discrimination and promoting minority rights; calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure sufficient funding and support for these stakeholders;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Notes that persons belonging to minorities are in a special category with regard to the right to remedies and have specific needs that must be met if they are to achieve full and effective equality, and that their rights should be respected and promoted, including the right to freely express, preserve and develop their cultural or linguistic identity, free from any attempt at assimilation against their will; calls on the European Commission to conduct regular monitoring of the linguistic and cultural pluralism in the EU in order to assess the positive and negative dynamics in all the Member States;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 10 a (new) – having regard to Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin[1], [1]OJ L 180, 19.7.2000, p. 22.
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8.
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Notes that persons belonging to minorities are in a special category with regard to the right to remedies and have specific needs that must be met if they are to achieve full and effective equality, and that their rights should be respected and promoted, including the right to freely express, preserve and develop their cultural or linguistic identity,
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Notes that persons belonging to traditionally established European minorities are in a special category with regard to the right to remedies and have specific needs that must be met if they are to achieve full and effective equality, and that their rights should be respected and promoted, including the right to freely express, preserve and develop their cultural or linguistic identity, free from any attempt at assimilation against their will;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Notes that persons belonging to minorities
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to collect reliable and comparable equality data in consultation with minority representatives in order to measure inequalities and discrimination; calls for effective EU-wide monitoring of the situation of autochthonous national minorities; considers that the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights should carry out enhanced monitoring of discrimination against national minorities in Member States;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Stresses that persons belonging to the minorities residing in any EU Member State and holding its citizenship are entitled to all the rights and freedoms that the EU citizenship guarantees to them, including the freedom of movement and settlement in another Member State, therefore the forceful return of such persons to their countries of origin is illegal;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to safeguard the protection of minorities within minorities and tackle the inequalities within inequalities, since people belonging to minorities often face multiple and intersectional discriminations;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Calls on the Member States to promote friendly and stable relationships between each other
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to continue supporting and funding the collection of reliable and robust equality data by EU agencies and bodies, national statistical authorities, national equality bodies, other public authorities and academic institutions as robust and reliable data enable the EU to develop targeted programmes and measures through which to foster equal treatment and promote non- discrimination. Encourages the Commission and the Member States to further investigate the relevance of recording ethnic data for academic and research purposes on voluntary basis, as only ethnic data could give a reliable picture of the real situation of minorities.
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Is concerned about the alarming increase of hate crime and hate speech motivated by racism, xenophobia or religious intolerance against national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities in Europe; calls on the EU and Member States to strengthen the fight against hate crime and discriminatory attitudes and behaviour; calls on the Commission and the FRA to continue their work on hate crime and hate speech monitoring in the Member States aimed against minorities, and to report regularly on the cases and tendencies;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 10 a (new) – having regard to its resolution of 7 February 2018 on protection and non- discrimination with regard to minorities in the EU Member States (2017/2937(RSP)),
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Encourages the European Commission and the Member States to introduce awareness-rising activities that sensitize the EU population to diversity and all peaceful forms of manifestations of minority cultures; the main goal of such awareness campaigns should be socialisation, dialogue and building of mutual confidence among the citizens belonging to the majority and to the minority groups;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. 10. Calls on the Commission create a European framework and on Member States to draw up specific national plans to tackle xenophobic violence and hate speech against people belonging to minorities or perceived as such; calls for this form of violence to be included in other campaigns and legislation created to fight discrimination and hate crimes in their different forms;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Calls on the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) to draft an opinion on how to create legal means to protect and promote the rights of persons belonging to national minorities in accordance to the particular decision of the Court of Justice, decision no. T- 646/13.
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Calls on the Member States to make coherent analysis of the current minority policies in order to clarify strengths and challenges and make proposals to secure the compliance with the rights of national minorities.
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 b (new) 9b. Calls on the Member States to implement all national, European and international law on fighting and adequately addressing hate crimes and to ensure that any case of alleged hate crime, including hate speech is investigated, prosecuted and tried.
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 b (new) 9b. Encourages the EU Member States to promote the culture of tolerance and respect for national, ethnic religious and linguistic minorities through the school and university courses as a part of academic curricula;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 b (new) 9b. Highlight that the media plays an important role in covering violations of minority rights and if unreported, the daily realities confronting the minorities remain invisible.
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 b (new) 9b. 11. Recalls that self-government is a democratic right of all peoples and therefore calls on full recognition of the right to self-determination;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 c (new) 9c. Calls on the Member States to ensure full and thorough implementation and application of the Racial Equality Directive, encourages them to engage in awareness-raising campaigns on anti- discrimination legislation and the redress mechanisms, in particular among those most likely to be affected by discrimination, such as member of ethnic minorities. Member States should ensure that sanctions are sufficiently effective, proportionate and dissuasive, as required by the Racial Equality Directive.
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 c (new) 9c. Notes that stateless minorities, i.e. the Roma, continue to face the constant threat of discrimination, evictions, detention and exclusion from employment opportunities and from the most essential services such as education and health care; notes that without these fundamentals the conditions for potential statelessness will remain in place.
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 10 a (new) – having regard to its resolution of 11 October 2017 on the fundamental rights aspects in Roma integration in the EU: fighting anti-Gypsyism,1a _________________ 1a Texts adopted, P8 TA(2017)0413
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 d (new) 9d. Calls on the Member States to significantly improve the effectiveness of the measures and institutional arrangements for enforcing EU and national anti-discrimination legislation, in order to ensure that they meet their obligations under the Racial Equality Directive, calls on the Commission to properly monitor the implementation of the Directive.
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 e (new) 9e. Asks the Commission and Member States to conduct research addressing the complex aspect of multiple and intersectional discrimination affection older persons depending on their gender, disability, sexual orientation or minority status
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Notes that autochthonous national minorities are groups of persons
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Notes that national minorities are groups of persons
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Notes that national minorities are groups of persons belonging to minorities who have been historically living on the same territory, historically maintaining longstanding, firm and lasting ties with that state, and sharing a common identity, in some instances as a result of border changes, in others as a result of living a long time in an area, whereby they have managed to preserve their identity; calls on the Member States and the Commission to
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Notes that traditionally established national minorities are groups of persons belonging to minorities who have been living on the same territory and sharing a common identity, in some instances as a result of border changes, in others as a result of living a long time in an area, whereby they have managed to preserve their identity;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Notes that national/ethnic minorities are groups of persons belonging to minorities who have been living on the same territory and sharing a common identity, in some instances as a result of border changes, in others as a result of living a long time in an area, whereby they have managed to preserve their identity; calls on the Member States and the Commission to protect the cultural and linguistic identity of national/ethnic minorities, and to create conditions for the promotion of that identity; points to the important role that regional and local authorities in the EU can play in protecting national/ethnic minorities, and considers that administrative reorganisation and territorial districting must not have negative consequences for them;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Calls on the Member States to guarantee equal opportunities for national minorities to participate in the political and social life of society. National minorities who participate effectively in the political and economic life of the state, and who see that they can achieve their goals through the institutions of the state, are more likely to give their loyalty to the state and to accept their responsibilities to it.
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 10 b (new) – having regard to the Council recommendation of 9 December 2013 on effective Roma integration measures in the Member States, to the Council conclusion of 8 December 2016 on Accelerating the process of Roma integration and of 13 October 2016 on the European Court of Auditors Special Report No 14/2016,
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Encourages the Commission to set up a commission at EU level (either within existing structures or as a separate body) to maintain the aim of the minimum standards for minorities in the EU.
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11.
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Notes that persons belonging to national minorities have, as every other Member State citizen has, the right to exercise fully and effectively their human rights and fundamental freedoms without any discrimination and in full equality before the law;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Notes that persons belonging to national/ethnic minorities have the right to
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Calls on Member States to refrain from any administrative reorganisation and territorial arrangements that have negative consequences on national minorities; stresses that territorial arrangements can also contribute to effectively protecting minority rights with a collective dimension and avoiding assimilation; considers that autonomous regions are a source of inspiration for conflict resolution in Europe; points out that the special status enjoyed by regions of some European States deepen the democratic process and lead to more prosperity and stability to those regions and their states; encourages Member States to consider with openness the benefits of both territorial or non- territorial functional forms of autonomy;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 b (new) 11b. Points to the important role that regional and local authorities in the EU can play in protecting autochthonous national minorities; considers that effective participation in decision-making, based on the principles of subsidiarity and self-governance, is one of the most effective ways of handling the problems of national minorities; encourages Member States to give local communities more decision-making powers in as many policy areas as possible, in line with the principle of subsidiarity, to allocate adequate financial resources to enable local communities to get closer to the state institutions and to gain real influence over decisions affecting their lives; encourages Member States to provide financial resources for the implementation of minority rights from the central budget, so as not to burden local budgets;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 c (new) 11c. Calls on Member States to adopt electoral systems and laws facilitating the representation of autochthonous national minorities;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12.
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Notes that maintaining the cultural heritage of the EU is a common interest of the Member States; calls on the EU institutions and its Member States to support, enhance and promote the cultural rights of national/ethnic minorities;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Notes that maintaining the European cultural heritage
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 – having regard to Articles 10, 21 and 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 10 c (new) – having regard to Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA of 28 November 2008 on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law,
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Notes that maintaining the cultural heritage of the EU is a common interest of the Member States; calls on the EU institutions and its Member States to support, enhance and promote the cultural rights of
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to recognise the contribution of national minorities to the cultural heritage of the Union, to reinforce dialogue with the representatives of national minorities and to identify and implement coordinated policies and actions for the sustainable management of preserving and developing their culture; calls on the Member States to guarantee an adequate degree of institutionalisation of practices on the national level to protect the cultural rights;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to recognise the contribution of national/ethnic minorities to the cultural heritage of the Union, to reinforce dialogue with the representatives of national/ethnic minorities and to identify and implement coordinated policies and actions
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to recognise the contribution of
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to involve and support national minorities and their representatives in fostering knowledge and skills that are necessary in order to safeguard, sustainably manage and develop cultural heritage and that should be handed down to future generations;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to involve and support national minorities and their representatives in fostering knowledge and skills that are necessary in order to
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to involve and support national/ethnic minorities and their representatives in fostering knowledge and skills that are necessary in order to safeguard, sustainably manage and develop cultural heritage and that should be handed down to future generations; calls on the Member States and the Commission to establish and maintain concrete cultural funds for the representatives of regional and minority rights, both at horizontal and vertical levels;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to involve and support
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 10 d (new) – having regard to the Commission Communications on Roma integration (COM(2010)0133, COM(2012)0226,COM(2013)0454, COM(2015)0299, COM(2016)0424), including the Communication on an EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020(COM(2011)0173),
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Highlights the fact that media plays a central role with regard to cultural and linguistic rights; recalls that being able to receive and publish information in a language one can fully understand and communicate in is a precondition for equal and effective participation in public, economic, social and cultural life; notes in this regard that special attention must be given to the needs of persons belonging to national minorities living in rural and remote areas; expresses concern over the underfunding of media outlets that publish or broadcast in regional or minority languages; Calls on Member States to provide appropriate funding to organisations or media outlets representing minorities in order to contribute to the preservation of minorities; cultural identities, as well as to share their views, language and culture with the majority;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Highlights the fact that media plays a central role with regard to cultural and linguistic rights; recalls that being able to have access, receive and publish information and content in a language one can fully understand and communicate in is a precondition for equal and effective participation in public, economic, social and cultural life; notes in this regard that special attention must be given to the needs of persons belonging to national minorities living in border, rural and remote areas;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Highlights the fact that media plays a central role with regard to cultural and linguistic rights; recalls that being able to receive and publish information in a language one can fully understand and communicate in is a precondition for equal and effective participation in public, economic, social and cultural life; notes in
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Highlights the fact that media plays a central role with regard to cultural and linguistic rights; recalls that being able to receive and publish information in a language one can fully understand and communicate in is a precondition for equal and effective participation in public, economic, social and cultural life; notes in this regard that special attention must be given to the needs of persons belonging to national/ethnic minorities living in rural and remote areas;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that the media can operate independently and free from discrimination in minority languages, to take into account national minorities when licensing or privatising media services, including assigning TV and radio broadcasters, to provide appropriate funds for self-governance to organisations representing minorities, with a view to fostering their sense of belonging to, and identification with, their respective minority groups, and to bring their identities, languages, histories and cultures to the attention of the majority; Calls on the Commission and the Member States to create the legal and regulatory conditions which ensures the freedom of service, passage and reception of audio-visual content in those regions where the minorities live in order to watch and listen content in their mother tongue, which is broadcasted cross-border without being geoblocked.
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that the media can operate in
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that the media can operate independently and free from discrimination in minority languages, to take into account national minorities when licensing
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that the media can operate independently and free from discrimination in minority languages, to take into account national/ethnic minorities when licensing or privatising media services, including assigning TV and radio broadcasters, to provide appropriate funds for self-governance to organisations representing minorities, with a view to fostering their sense of belonging to, and identification with, their respective minority groups, and to bring their identities, languages, histories and cultures to the attention of the majority;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Stresses the necessity for the minorities to be adequately represented at the European Parliament by its Members in order to guarantee that the work of the Parliament reflects the ethnic, linguistic and cultural variety of the constituencies;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 11 – having regard to its annual resolution
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. 17. Calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure by appropriate means that audiovisual media services do not contain any incitement to violence or hatred directed against people belonging to minorities;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Calls on the
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to refrain from political and legal acts and policies that aim to prescribe restrictive measures, such as subtitling and/or translation obligations and mandatory quotas for programmes in official languages; calls on the Members States and the Commission to allow and promote the presence of regional or minority-language media, also on online interfaces; calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure appropriate funding or grants for organisations and media representing national/ethnic minorities, in view of their regional specificities and needs;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to refrain from political and legal acts and policies that aim to prescribe restrictive measures, such as subtitling and/or translation obligations and mandatory quotas for programmes in official languages; calls on the Members States
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Calls on Member States to enhance intellectual property rights of ethnic minorities and impede the exploitation of their own culture. Ethnic minorities worldwide are faced with the appropriation of their collective heritage developed through the ages. Their traditional knowledge systems must be respected, promoted and protected and not to be commercialized unauthorizedly. Their collective intellectual property rights must be guaranteed and ensured by specific legal tools.
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Calls on Member States to uphold the EU Guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief, both in private and in public, without fear of intimidation , discrimination, violence or attack; particular care should be taken where once majority beliefs are now held by a minority;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. 18. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to support the establishment of public media in regional, minority or lesser-used languages, as well as promoting the inclusion of content in minority languages within public media;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Calls on Member States to make the history, including the atrocities committed against a minority group, and the culture of national/ethnic minorities part of the curricula in schools;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 b (new) 17b. Calls on Member States to ensure the principle of conscientious objection is upheld in law and in practice, whereby reasonable accommodation would be used to allow workers, volunteers and all citizens to not be forced to carry out an action contrary to their conscience;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 11 a (new) – having regard to its resolutions on Roma[1], [1] OJ C 4E, 7.1.2011, p. 7; OJ C 308E,20.10.2011, p. 73;OJ C 199 E, 7.7.2012, p. 112; OJ C 468, 15.12.2016, p. 36; OJC 468, 15.12.2016, p. 157.
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 b (new) 17b. Calls on Member States to launch cultural dialogues, including but not exclusively in schools, on the different forms and faces of hate against minority groups, such as anti-Gypsyism, anti- Semitism, Islamophobia, Afrophobia, etc.
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 c (new) 17c. Calls on Member States, in order to create mutual trust, to set up national truth and reconciliation commissions in order to acknowledge the persecution, exclusion and disownment of Roma people through the centuries, and to document these issues in an official white paper;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 d (new) 17d. Calls on Member States to clearly condemn and sanction the denial of atrocities against national/ethnic minorities, such as the Roma Holocaust;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 e (new) 17e. Calls on Member States to hold and honour major commemoration days of minority groups at state level;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 f (new) 17f. Calls on Member States to establish institutions displaying the history and culture of minority groups, support them financially and by the necessary regulations;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 g (new) 17g. Calls on Member States to secure state recognition of national/ethnic minorities, in order to fight identity insecurity of members of minority groups;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 h (new) Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 i (new) 17i. Is deeply concerned by the number of people who are denied their citizenship because of their ethnicity, such as thousands of Roma in the EU, which results in the complete denial of their rights and pushes them to the very margins of society; stresses that the situation and legal status of non-citizens permanently resident in Member States need to be addressed;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 11 b (new) – having regard to its resolution of 15 April 2015 on the occasion of International Roma Day –anti-Gypsyism in Europe and EU recognition of the memorial day of the Roma genocide during World War II[1], [1]OJ C 328, 6.9.2016, p. 4.
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 j (new) 17j. Calls on the Member States to take immediate corrective measures to stop discriminatory birth registration, to carry out birth registration of members of minority groups without discrimination and to ensure that the issued ID cards are non-discriminatory;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 k (new) 17k. Calls on Member States to safeguard that members of minority groups can practise their civil rights without fear; in this respect, calls on Member States to include mandatory human rights, democratic citizenship and political literacy training courses in their school curricula at all levels in order to strengthen the self-confidence of members of minority groups and their ability to exercise and demand their equal rights;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 l (new) 17l. Encourages Member States to provide minority groups guaranteed representation in national, regional and local governments and parliaments;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 2 d (new) Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 m (new) 17m. Deeply regrets that little progress has been made on the adoption of the proposal for an Equal Treatment Directive and calls on the Commission and the Council to re-launch the relevant negotiations with the aim of concluding them as soon as possible;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 n (new) 17n. Is deeply concerned by the widespread discrimination, including intersectional discrimination, and segregation of members of minority groups in all areas of life, often resulting in their deep poverty and exclusion from the society; calls on Member States to take both proactive and reactive measures to safeguard equal access of members of minority groups to services, goods, information, etc. in all walks of life, and to provide mandatory trainings to duty- bearers, who are key to the correct implementation of EU and Member State legislation and who have to be equipped to serve all citizens from a human rights- based approach; calls on the Commission and Member States to address intersectional discrimination both in their policies and through their funding programmes;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 o (new) 17o. Considers active and meaningful social, economic, political and cultural participation by minority groups as key; calls, therefore, on the Commission and the Member States to design strategies featuring both proactive and reactive measures on the basis of real, systematic consultations with minority groups representatives, and to involve them in the running, monitoring and evaluation of mainstream programmes and projects launched at all levels, including at the local level in order to safeguard their inclusiveness and non-discrimination;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 p (new) 17p. Stresses that the development of any cultural heritage policy should be inclusive, community-based and participatory, involving consultation and dialogue with the minority communities concerned;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 11 c (new) – having regard to its resolution of 25 October 2017 on the fundamental rights aspects in Roma integration in the EU: fighting anti-Gypsyism (2017/2038(INI)),
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18.
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Notes that education is a key element of socialisation and development, and that the continuity of mother tongue education is vital to preserving their cultural and linguistic identity; notes that, when it comes to minority language education, there is no one single best- practice model that is suitable for all national/ethnic minorities; notes that special attention shall be paid to people using sign language;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Notes that education is a key element of socialisation and development, and that the continuity of mother tongue education is vital to preserving their cultural and linguistic identity; notes that, when it comes to minority language education, there is no one single best- practice model that is suitable for all
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Notes that every person belonging to a national minority has the right to learn his or her minority language.
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 b (new) 18b. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure, in line with international norms, that in areas inhabited by persons belonging to national minorities traditionally or in substantial numbers, if there is sufficient demand, as far as possible and within the framework of Member State education systems, persons belonging to those minorities have adequate opportunities for being taught the minority language or for receiving instructions in this language.
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to promote and support the official use of languages spoken by national minorities in the territories where they live, at local or regional level, in conformity with the principles of the FCNM and the Language Charter
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to promote and support the official use of languages spoken by national/ethnic minorities in the territories where they live, at local or regional level, in conformity with the principles of the FCNM and the Language Charter, while taking into account that the protection and encouragement of the use of regional and minority languages should not be to the detriment of official languages and the obligation to learn them;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Expresses its regret that some Member States have not yet ratified the Language Charter and that even some that ratified it do not implement it effectively; is disappointed by the fact that in some member States existing rights are either not implemented or are outright flouted;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that persons belonging to national minorities have rights and adequate opportunities to receive education in a minority language and for instruction in their mother tongue in both public and private educational institutions; calls on the Member States to formulate appropriate education policies, bearing in mind the right for education in a minority language and the needs of national minorities;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 11 d (new) – European Parliament resolution of 7 February 2018 on protection and non- discrimination with regard to minorities in the EU Member States (2017/2937(RSP)),
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Calls on the Member States and the
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that persons belonging to national minorities have rights and adequate opportunities to receive education in a minority language
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that persons belonging to national/ethnic minorities have rights and adequate opportunities to receive education in a minority language and for instruction in their mother tongue in both public and private educational institutions; calls on the Member States to formulate appropriate education policies, bearing in mind the right for education in a minority language and the needs of national/ethnic minorities; calls on the Members States and the Commission to incorporate the best practices in teaching foreign languages into the methodology of teaching official languages when it comes to curricula for schools which provide education in a minority language; notes that the Member States should ensure that both the regional or minority language and the official language are taught using appropriate methods;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that persons belonging to national minorities have rights and adequate opportunities to receive education and training in a minority language and for instruction in their mother tongue in both public and private educational institutions; calls on the Member States to formulate appropriate education policies, bearing in mind the right for education in a minority language and the needs of national minorities; calls on the Members States and the Commission to incorporate the best practices in teaching foreign languages into the methodology of teaching official languages when it comes to curricula for schools which provide education in a minority language; notes that the Member States should ensure that both the regional or minority language and the official language are taught using appropriate methods;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that persons belonging to national minorities have rights and adequate opportunities to receive
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Emphasises the importance of higher education in mother tongue and of the formation of specialists with knowledge of specialised terminology, especially in regions with a large number of speakers of the language concerned; highlights the critical need to instruct doctors in minority languages, considering the need to interact with minority patients; strongly condemns the obstructions in place in some Member States in this regard;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Encourages the Member States to ensure that those who speak a regional or minority language as their mother tongue have the opportunity to learn the official language sufficiently, by incorporating good practice from the teaching of foreign and second languages into the methodological approach adopted for teaching the official language of the State.
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 b (new) 20b. Encourages the Member States to produce textbooks that meet the requirements of the speakers of regional or minority languages, and – if that proves to be impossible - facilitate the use of textbooks from other countries published in those languages, in co- operation with educational regulation bodies of the countries where regional or minority languages are used.
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Calls on the Member States to define preferential thresholds in the learning of regional or minority languages; calls on the Member States to ensure equity in education irrespective of where the person lives, the persons background or living conditions; calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that people belonging to national minorities living in rural area, or living in widely scattered settlements, have the right to receive education in a minority language, e.g. in their mother tongue and ; calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that education reforms and policies do not restrict the right to receive education in a minority language;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 13 a (new) – having regard to its resolution of 4 February 2014 on the EU Roadmap against homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity (2013/2183(INI)),
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Calls on the Member States to define preferential thresholds in the learning of regional or minority languages; calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that people belonging to national minorities living in rural area, or living in widely scattered settlements, have the right to learn his or her minority language, or receive education in a minority language, e.g. in their mother tongue, if there is sufficient demand, and ; calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that education reforms and policies do not restrict the right to receive education in a minority language;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Calls on the Member States to define preferential thresholds in the learning of regional or minority languages; calls on the Member States and the
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Calls on the Member States to define preferential thresholds in the learning of regional or minority languages and to apply them with flexibility in light of the interests of the community; calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that people belonging to national minorities living in rural areas, or living in widely scattered settlements, have the right to receive education in a minority language, e.g. in their mother tongue and ; calls on the Member States
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Calls on the Member States to define preferential thresholds in the learning of regional or minority languages; calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that people belonging to national/ethnic minorities living in rural area, or living in widely scattered settlements, have the right to receive education in a minority language, e.g. in their mother tongue and ; calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that education reforms and policies do not restrict the right to receive education in a minority language;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Notes that the training of teachers and access to textbooks and learning material of good quality are essential preconditions for ensuring good quality education for students; notes that the curricula, education materials and history textbooks should provide a fair, accurate and informative portrayal of the societies and cultures of the minority group; notes that a widely recognised problem regarding minority language education that needs to be addressed is the insufficient availability of high-quality teaching material and skilled minority language teachers; notes that multi-dimensional teaching of history should be a requirement in all schools, whether in minority or majority communities; notes the importance of the development of teacher training in order to fit the needs of teaching at different levels and in different school forms (pre- school, subject teaching in the languages, bilingual education, immersion education);
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Notes that the training of teachers
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Notes that the training of teachers and access to textbooks of good quality are essential preconditions for ensuring good quality education for students; notes that a widely recognised problem regarding minority language education that needs to be addressed is the insufficient availability of high-quality teaching material and skilled minority language teachers;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Underlines that teaching the language of minorities contributes to the mutual understanding between the majority and minority and brings the communities closer together; therefore in regions with a large number of minorities, the teaching of minority languages should be made possible in the majority language schools for students who wish to study the language;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Calls on the Member States to apply positive measures in order to ensure proper representation of minorities in education, as well as in public administration, executive agencies at national, regional and municipal levels; calls on the Commission to collect and report statistical information in this regard, if available;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 13 a (new) – having regards to its report of 30 November 2017on the EU Citizenship Report 2017: Strengthening Citizens’ Rights in a Union of Democratic Change (2017/2069(INI)),
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Recalls the fundamental role of public education in guaranteeing equal opportunities to all, including people belonging to minorities; recalls that the privatization of education will particularly affect the most vulnerable parts of society, including people belonging to minorities;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Calls on the Member States to consider the introduction of topics on fundamental human rights and minority rights in particular to the school curricula as means of promoting cultural diversity and tolerance through education;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 b (new) 23b. Recalls that education in a minority language or belonging to any particular minority cannot be used as an excuse to segregate children based on ethnic, national, religious, or any other criteria;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 c (new) 23c. Calls on Member States to ensure that non-discrimination, as well as the history and rights of people belonging to minorities, are mainstreamed as contents of the national education system; recalls that the promoting the knowledge of minority languages by people who are not members of the minority is a way to foster mutual understanding and recognition;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Notes that language is an essential aspect of cultural identity and the human rights of minorities; calls on the Member States to take into consideration this rights perspective
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Notes that language is an essential aspect of cultural identity and the human rights of minorities and that education remains the main tool to revitalize and to maintain endangered minority languages; calls on the Member States to take into consideration this rights perspective, to ensure the right to use a minority language in private as in public places without any discrimination, and to protect linguistic diversity within the Union; calls on the Commission to strengthen its plan to promote the teaching and use of regional languages as a potential means of tackling language discrimination in the EU, and to promote linguistic diversity;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Notes that language is an essential aspect of cultural identity and the human rights of minorities; calls on the Member States to take into consideration this rights perspective, to ensure the right to use a
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24a. Stresses that in its resolution of 11 September 2013, the European Parliament reminded that the Commission should pay attention to the fact that, with their policies, some Member States and regions are endangering the survival of languages inside their borders, even if those languages are not in danger in the European context, and calls on the Commission to consider the administrative and legislative obstacles posed to practicing these languages;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Notes that in addition to its 24 official languages, the EU is home to 60 other languages which are also part of
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 a (new) 25a. Calls on the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission to recognise as official languages those included in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages which are spoken on EU territory, translating all official documents and information into these languages and making communication between the institutions and citizens available in these languages;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 13 b (new) – having regard to its resolution of 25 October 2016 with recommendations to the Commission on the establishment of an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights (2015/2254(INL)),
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26. Calls the Member States and the Commission to allow and promote, with regard to the administrative authorities and public service organisations, the use of regional or minority languages in practice, according to the principle of proportionality, such as in relations between private individuals and organisations on the one hand, and public authorities on the other; calls on the Member States to make information and public services available in these languages, including on the internet, in areas where people belonging to national minorities are traditionally present; encourages municipal authorities to ensure the use of regional and minority languages; encourages the Member States to use the good practices already existing within the Member States as guidelines; calls on the Member States to encourage public officials and authorities to undertake an official certificate of language proficiency in order to ensure services in the regional and minority languages.
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26. Calls the Member States and the Commission to allow and promote, with regard to the administrative authorities and
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26. Calls the Member States and the Commission to allow and promote, with regard to the administrative authorities and public service organisations, the use of regional or minority languages in practice, according to the principle of proportionality, such as in relations between private individuals and organisations on the one hand, and public authorities on the other; calls on the Member States to make information and public services available in these languages, including on the internet, in areas where people belonging to national minorities are traditionally present;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26. Calls the Member States and the Commission to allow and promote, with regard to the administrative authorities and public service organisations, the use of regional or minority languages in practice, according to the principle of proportionality, such as in relations between private individuals and organisations on the one hand, and public authorities on the other; calls on the Member States to make information and public services available in these languages, including on the internet, in areas where people belonging to national/ethnic minorities are traditionally present; encourages municipal authorities to ensure the use of regional and minority languages; encourages the Member States to use the good practices already existing within the Member States as guidelines;
Amendment 294 #
26a. Encourages the Member States to promote and encourage the use of regional or minority languages at local and regional level; with this aim in mind, actively encourage municipal authorities to ensure the use of such languages in practice.
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 27. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that in areas where people belonging to national minorities are traditionally present, the safety and security marking and labelling, important mandatory instructions and public announcements of import to citizens,
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 27. Calls on the Member States
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 28. Notes that the visual representation of regional and minority languages – road signs, street names, the names of administrative, public and commercial institutions, etc. – is essential to promoting and protecting
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 28. Notes that the visual representation of regional and minority languages – road signs, street names, the names of administrative, public and commercial institutions, etc. – is essential to promoting and protecting national/ethnic minority rights, as it reflects, and contributes to, the vital use of regional and minority languages, encouraging persons belonging to national/ethnic minorities to use, preserve and develop
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 a (new) – having regard to the Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin,
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 14 – having regard to the decision and case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, in particular case T- 646/13 - Minority SafePack - one million signatures for diversity in Europe v Commission,
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 a (new) 28a. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to recognise that every person belonging to a national minority has the right to use his or her surname (patronym) and first names in the minority language and the right to official recognition of them, including in the context of the freedom of movement in the EU;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 a (new) 28a. Calls on the Member States to refrain from or abolish legal practices that impede the accession of minorities to the full spectre of professions exercised in a given State;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 a (new) 28a. Calls on the EU institutions to give European sign languages official status
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 b (new) 28b. Calls on the Member States to guarantee an adequate access to legal and judicial services; representatives of minorities should also be explicitly informed about the procedures to follow under their national law in case their rights as of persons belonging to a minority have been violated;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 29. Calls on the Member States to take action to prevent administrative and financial obstacles that could delay
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 29.
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 29. Calls on the Member States to take action to prevent administrative and financial obstacles that could delay linguistic diversity at European and national level and impede the usage and
Amendment 307 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 a (new) 29a. Strongly believes that the EU should be a true trendsetter in matters of minority rights in the world; believes that by building a legally binding common protection framework would not only solve the Copenhagen dilemma but would also strengthen its credibility vis-à-vis third countries when acting in matters of human rights violation across the globe; Believes that this would be of great importance in regards to the prospect of the EU’s Western-Balkan enlargement and its neighbourhood policy.
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 a (new) 29a. Notes that minority individuals have the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, which includes access to all medical services, sanitation and a clean environment; calls on the Member States to ensure affordable, accessible, preventive and curative health care of good quality for all.
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 14 – having regard to the
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 b (new) 29b. Notes that minority groups have lower access to health services and health information; calls on the Member States to ensure minorities the access to health care, both physical and mental health care, as well as access to sexual and reproductive health care without discrimination.
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 c (new) 29c. Calls on the Member States to ensure that health facilities, goods and services are within safe physical reach for all sections of the population, this is particularly relevant for minority populations that are geographically isolated or are predominantly living in rural locations; calls on the Member States to ensure that health facilities are provided in a culturally appropriate manner that is respectful of the culture of minorities.
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 d (new) Amendment 314 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 e (new) 29e. Notes that all election information that is available in the official languages of the Member State should also be available in the minority language so that all citizens will have an effective and equal opportunity to register, learn the details of the elections, and cast a free vote.
Amendment 315 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 f (new) 29f. Notes that the fundamental precondition for the integration of minorities into a Member State is the full implementation of the right to freedom of association including the possibility to form organisations and political parties which are able to transmit the specific interests of the minority into the political sphere.
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 g (new) 29g. Notes that national parliamentary committees for minority issues is of crucial importance for the quality of minority representation; notes that in some Member States the discussion of minority issues is addressed within committees dealing with broader mandates such as human rights, constitutional questions and local administration; calls on the Member States to organise mandatory committee hearings in the legislative process affecting directly or indirectly minority rights in order to reinforce the position of such committees.
Amendment 319 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 14 a (new) – having regard to the petitions received by the European Parliament indicating the multiple cases of discrimination based on the belonging to a minority group,
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 – introductory part 30. Calls on the Commission to draw up a
Amendment 322 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 – introductory part 30. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 323 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 – indent 1 Amendment 324 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 – indent 1 Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 – indent 1 a (new) – a list of all the minorities present in the EU Member States to which the minimum standards would apply,
Amendment 326 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 – indent 2 Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 – indent 2 Amendment 328 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 – indent 2 Amendment 329 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 – indent 3 Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 – having regard to the reports and surveys published and carried out by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), such as the report entitled ‘Respect for and protection of persons belonging to minorities 2008-2010’, as well as other relevant reports by national, European and international organisations and NGOs on the matter,
Amendment 330 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 – indent 3 Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 – indent 3 Amendment 332 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 – indent 3 Amendment 333 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 – indent 3 – a legislative proposal for a directive, based on the aforementioned points, on minimum standards for minorities in the EU, with clear benchmarks and sanctions;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 – indent 3 a (new) – a legislative proposal for a recommendation aiming at the compensation of losses borne by some ethnic minorities as an effect of the climate change;
Amendment 335 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 a (new) 30a. Calls of the European Commission to organise regular monitoring among the representatives of minorities to assess their satisfaction with the implementation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and other EU legal instruments on the national level to survey the enactment of the principles of equality, non- discrimination and democratic participation of minorities; the surveys should also examine the difference in concrete indicators (as life expectance, purchasing power, labour market access, etc.)between the minorities and the main part of the population;
Amendment 336 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 a (new) 30a. Calls on the Commission and Member States that the roadmap includes data collection, as well as field-work based, financial and quality oriented monitoring and reporting methodologies as they support effective evidence-based policies and can contribute to improving the effectiveness of strategies, actions and measures taken.
Amendment 337 #
30a. Calls on the Commission to establish an EU Commissioner responsible for minority communities and languages in the EU;
Amendment 338 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 b (new) 30b. Invites the European Commission to further support the work of the European Civil Society Platform for Multilingualism, and other organisations advocating the interests of minorities such as the Federal Union of European Nationalities;
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 c (new) 30c. Encourages the European Commission to explore the legal instruments and ways in which the interests and needs of the minorities could be better represented at EU level.
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 a (new) – having regard to the Resolution of the European Parliament of 7 February 2018 on protection and non- discrimination with regard to minorities in the EU Member States (2017/2937(RSP)),
Amendment 340 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 31. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 a (new) – having regard to the Fundamental Rights Agency’s EU-MIDIS I and II surveys and various other surveys and reports on Roma,
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 b (new) – having regard to the report of 30 November 2017 of the Committee on Petitions on the EU Citizenship Report 2017: Strengthening Citizens’ Rights in a Union of Democratic Change(2017/2069(INI), A8-0385/2017), especially to the provisions of its article 14,
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 c (new) – having regard to the results of public hearing of 4 May 2017 ‘Fighting against discrimination and protecting minorities’,
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 d (new) – having regard to the activities and findings of the Intergroup for Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages of the European Parliament,
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic traditionally established European minorities are an integral part of human rights, which are universal, indivisible and independent, and whereas protecting and promoting traditionally established European minority rights is essential for peace, security and stability and for promoting tolerance, mutual respect and understanding and co-operation among all persons living on their territory;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 a (new) – having regard to the Copenhagen criteria, and the body of Union rules that a candidate country must fulfil if it wishes to join the Union (the acquis),
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, LGBTI people and people living with disabilities are an integral part of human rights, which are universal, indivisible and independent, and whereas protecting and promoting minority rights is essential for peace, security and stability and for promoting tolerance, mutual respect and understanding and co- operation among all persons living on their territory;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. Whereas the EU is a mosaic of cultures, languages, religions, traditions and history, forming a community of diverse citizens united by their common core values; whereas it is this diversity that constitutes Europe’s greatest wealth;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas approximately 8 % of EU citizens belong to a national minorities and approximately 10 % speak a regional or minority language;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas people belonging to minorities often face multiple and intersectional discriminations;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) Ab. whereas the essence of protecting minority rights is protecting the right to identity in face of the threat of assimilation; whereas autochthonous national minorities developed their national identities and institutions for centuries while living on the same territory; whereas the right to identity bears both an individual and collective rights aspect with benefits to both the individual and to the community;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) Ab. whereas women belonging to minorities more frequently become victims of discrimination and unfair treatment and have less chances to successfully pursue their career aspirations;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas the protection of the rights of persons belonging to traditionally established European minorities can help build a sustainable future for Europe and contribute to guaranteeing the respect of the principles of dignity, equality and non- discrimination; whereas benefits are not limited to traditionally established European minorities since this protection and promotion will bring stability, economic development and prosperity to all;
Amendment 48 #
C. whereas the Treaty of Lisbon introduced the term ‘persons belonging to minorities’ into EU primary law, the first- ever explicit reference in the history of the EU law; whereas Article 2 of the Treaty makes it clear that ‘respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities’ is a value on which ‘the Union is founded’; whereas Article 2 of the Treaty affirms that this value is ‘common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non- discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail’; whereas the
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas Article 2 of the TEU states that the Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the primacy of law and human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities – values which are shared by all the Member States and which must be upheld and actively promoted by the EU and each Member State individually in all their policies, both internally and externally in a consistent way; whereas Article 17 of the TEU states that the Commission must ensure the application of the Treaties;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 3 a (new) – having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948,
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas the rights of national, regional, linguistic and religious minorities are guaranteed by both multilateral and bilateral international agreements and enshrined in the constitutional systems of many states, and respect for them is an important prerequisite for assessing the rule of law;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas in the framework of this resolution the term “minority” shall include national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities;
Amendment 52 #
D. whereas according to Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas by becoming legally binding, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the E
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU has laid down the principle of non-discrimination; whereas the values of the European Union are common to the Member States; whereas special attention should be paid to the protection of fundamental rights of the most vulnerable groups;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas the Racial Equality Directive (2000/43/EC) represents a key legal measure for combating ethnic and racial discrimination and its practical implementation is crucial for promoting equality by prohibiting all acts of harassment and discrimination, being direct or indirect, on the grounds of ethnicity or race, whereas several Member States have still not yet fully implemented it which hinders from the efficient protection of minorities against discrimination.
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas the right to equal treatment is one of the founding principles of the European Union; whereas equal treatment is a basic right, not a privilege, of all citizens; whereas, when laying down the citizenship of the Union, article 9 of the TEU expressly mentions that the Union shall observe the principle of equality of its citizens, who shall receive equal attention from its institutions, bodies, offices and agencies;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas experience shows that, pre-accession countries are more willing to respect the Copenhagen criteria on democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights and to advance the situation of minorities; whereas, as a consequence of the lack of an adequate framework to guarantee the fulfilment of these criteria after accession, serious backsliding is experienced in many member states following EU membership; whereas Member States have even backtracked on commitments undertaken in the accession negotiations without impunity and without being held to any account by the EU institutions;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas, at present, the Union has tools of only limited efficacy to respond to systematic and institutional manifestations of discrimination, racism and xenophobia against minorities; whereas there are discrepancies among Member States in terms of recognition of minorities and respect for their rights; whereas, in spite of numerous calls on the Commission, only limited steps have been taken to ensure effective protection of minorities;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 3 b (new) – having regard to UN Resolution A/70/L.1 adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015 entitled ‘Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’,
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas that the motto of the European Union is “United in diversity” and that it means truly recognising it, respecting the rights of minorities and preventing their violation from causing territorial tensions that can have disastrous consequences for the stability of the Union.
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas the motto of the EU “United in diversity” adopted since 2000 underlines the respect for diversity as one of the founding values of the European Union;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas recent developments have shown that instruments and processes to ensure the full and correct application of the principles and values of the Treaties – of which the respect for rights of persons belonging to minorities is a constituent part – need to be revised and integrated, and that an effective mechanism to close remaining gaps, and to ensure that Treaty principles and values are upheld throughout the Union, should be developed; whereas this mechanism should be evidence-based, objective, non- discriminatory, respecting the principles of subsidiarity, necessity and proportionality, applying to both Member States and institutions of the Union, and based on a graduated approach, including both a preventative and corrective arm; whereas the Parliament has given its support for the establishment of a EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, which could be central to the coordinated European approach to governance which is currently lacking;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas the European Parliament acknowledged in its resolution of 25 October 2016 with recommendations to the Commission on the establishment of an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights (2015/2254(INL)), that “approximately 8 % of Union citizens belong to a national minority and approximately 10 % speak a regional or minority language; whereas there is no Union legal framework to guarantee their rights as a minority; whereas the establishment of an effective mechanism to monitor their rights in the Union is of outmost importance; whereas there is a difference between the protection of minorities and anti- discrimination policies; whereas equal treatment is a basic right, not a privilege, of all citizens;”
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas languages are an integral part of European identity and the most direct expression of culture; whereas respect for linguistic diversity is a fundamental value of the EU, as laid down in, for instance, Article 22 of the Charter and the preamble to the TEU, which refers to ‘drawing inspiration from the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe, from which have developed the universal values of the inviolable and inalienable rights of the human person, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law’; whereas 40 to 50 million people in the EU speak one of its 60 regional and minority languages, some of which are at serious risk;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) Ga. whereas linguistic diversity is an important part of a region’s cultural wealth; whereas the decline of minority languages is perceptible across Europe; whereas languages that are spoken by small communities and have no official status, are even more exposed to the risk of extinction;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) Ga. whereas in inclusive societies, individual identity as well as national identity are important, neither excludes the other. This extends also to the centrality of language as a marker of the identity of linguistic minorities as communities.
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) Ga. Whereas national legislative systems of the Member States with regard to the minorities contain important gaps and represent a low level of harmonisation and symmetry;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) Ga. Whereas an estimate one person in a thousand uses a national sign language as their first language; whereas these languages should be awarded official status;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 3 c (new) – having regard to UN Resolution A/RES/60/7 adopted by the General Assembly on 1 November 2005 on the Holocaust Remembrance,
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas the European Union’s cultural heritage is rich and diverse; whereas cultural heritage enriches the individual lives of citizens; whereas Article 3 of the TEU affirms, that ‘the Union shall respect its rich cultural and linguistic diversity, and shall ensure that Europe’s cultural heritage is safeguarded and enhanced’; whereas persons belonging to minorities that have been living
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H a (new) Ha. whereas while international agreements and EU law provide a solid framework for minority rights, there is still considerable room for improvement of the way in which the protection of minority rights is effectively put into place in the EU; whereas all EU citizens have the right to express their opinions and political views by peaceful, legal and democratic means, regardless if the language they prefer to do so in, is the official language of the Member State; whereas the legitimacy of the democratic institutions is based on participation and representation of all groups of society, including minorities; whereas the prohibition of using any language, other than the official language during electoral campaigns in some Member states hinders the promotion and protection of cultural and linguistic diversity and violates the right to free expression and information as provided by the EU Charter of fundamental rights;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H a (new) Ha. whereas there are very high discrepancies across member states in the recognition of such minorities and the respect of their rights; whereas so far the EU has not been able to sanction or prevent discriminative practices having a negative impact on the languages and cultures of persons belonging to national minorities; whereas such minorities across the EU still face institutionalized discrimination and encounter obstacles in the enforcement of their basic rights, such as the right to use their own language and to have access to justice, public services, education, health and social services, as reflected in various monitoring reports;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H a (new) Ha. whereas according to the Eurostat the population group aged 60 and older is expected to grow from 18 percent to 30 percent in the same period and whereas there is no research addressing the complex aspect of multiple and intersectional discrimination affection older persons depending on their gender, disability, sexual orientation or minority status.
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H a (new) Ha. whereas the denial for the pupils of education in their mother tongue leads to linguistic and cultural assimilation, as well as to the decrease of academic performance and marginalisation;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H a (new) Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H b (new) Hb. whereas according to the FRA members of ethnic minorities in the EU experience discrimination on more grounds than their ethnicity, such as their sex, religious beliefs or origins, whereas persisting harassment, discrimination and violence limit the ability of people with a minority background to fully enjoy their fundamental rights and freedoms, and undermine their equal participation in society.
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H b (new) Hb. whereas there is a difference between the protection of minorities and anti-discrimination policies; whereas non- discrimination is not enough to stop assimilation; whereas effective equality goes further than refraining from discrimination and means guaranteeing minorities the enjoyment of their rights, such as the right to identity, language use and education on par with the majority;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H b (new) Hb. whereas in major European cities the residential coverage of the representatives of minorities is not equal, leading to the formation of “residential ghettos” and low integration of minorities into the life of the city;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 4 – having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights and its Protocols, especially Protocol No. 12 on non-discrimination,
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H b (new) Hb. J. whereas the rise of xenophobic violence and hate speech in the European Union, often promoted by far-right forces, affects and specifically targets people belonging to minorities;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H c (new) Hc. whereas according to Article 5 of the Racial Equality Directive in order to ensure full equality, the principle of equal treatment shall not prevent any Member State from maintaining or adopting specific measures to prevent or compensate for disadvantages linked to racial or ethnic origin,
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H c (new) Hc. K. whereas a gender perspective is fundamental to develop and implement any policy relating to the rights of minorities as acknowledged in the mandate of the UN Special rapporteur on minority issues;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H c (new) Hc. whereas the climate change has negative effect on the life of certain ethnic minorities in the EU jeopardizing their cultural traditions and traditional professional occupations;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H d (new) Hd. whereas the petition “Minority Safepack” has collected 1.215.879 signatures across the EU, showcasing the will of the EU citizens to strengthen the legislative framework governing minority policies at the EU level;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph -1 (new) -1. Confirms that national minority communities represent a special contribution to European diversity and culture; reminds that preserving and promoting cultural and linguistic diversity within and between Member States is a fundamental value and at the same time a major task of the European Union; recalls its calls from previous reports and resolutions, particularly from the most recent resolution of 7 February 2018 on the protection and non-discrimination with regard to minorities in the EU Member States, for more consistency in the field of minority protection in the EU; believes that all Member States as well as candidate countries should be bound by the same principles and obligations; stresses the need for a comprehensive European Union protection system for national minorities, accompanied by a robust monitoring mechanism;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph -1 (new) -1. Condemns any discrimination based on any grounds such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation; notes that the proposed 2008 Equal Treatment Directive is still pending approval by the Council; reiterates its call on the Council to adopt the proposal as soon as possible;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph -1 a (new) -1a. Points out the inconsistency of the EU’s attitude toward minorities - while protection of minorities is a part of the Copenhagen criteria, there are still no common EU standards for minority rights in the EU and consequently there are no guarantees that candidate states stick to the commitments undertaken under the Copenhagen criteria once they became Member States; Finds it unacceptable that 60 years after its establishment, and almost ten years after the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU still lacks effective tools to monitor and enforce the respect of minority rights; Deeply regrets that in the field of minority protection the EU has either taken for granted the assumption that its Member States comply with minority rights or has relied on external monitoring instruments, such as those of the UN, CoE and OSCE, which present an uneven coverage regarding geography and scope as well as limitations regarding monitoring and follow-up;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph -1 a (new) -1a. Recalls that while protection of minorities is a part of the Copenhagen criteria, both for the candidate countries and for the Member States, there is no guarantee that candidate states stick to the commitments undertaken under the Copenhagen criteria once they became Member States; notes that compliance with the Copenhagen criteria by states before and after their accession to the EU must be subject to constant monitoring and to a constant dialogue within and between Parliament, the Commission and the Council;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph -1 b (new) -1b. Condemns the instances of discrimination, segregation, hate speech, hate crime and social exclusion experienced by Roma people; reiterates its position expressed in its resolution of 11 October 2017 on the fundamental rights aspects in Roma integration in the EU: fighting anti-Gypsyism; condemns the continuous discrimination against Roma people in access to housing, healthcare, education and the labour market; recalls that all European citizens should receive equal assistance and protection regardless of their ethnic or cultural origin;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 4 a (new) – having regard to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights’ (FRA) Fundamental Rights Report 2018 and its Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EU-MIDIS II)
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph -1 b (new) Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph -1 c (new) -1c. Emphasises that EU citizens belonging to minorities expect more to be done on a European level for the protection of their rights, as attested by the large number of petitions submitted to the European Parliament in this regard, as well as by the initiation of the ‘Minority Safepack’ European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) - One million signatures for diversity in Europe; welcomes the success of the ECI in gathering the support of over 1.3 million EU citizens in asking the EU to adopt a set of legal acts aimed at improving the protection of persons belonging to national and linguistic minorities and at strengthening cultural and linguistic diversity in the Union; Expresses its strong support for the initiative in the forthcoming stages of the ECI procedure;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph -1 c (new) -1c. Insists on the importance of pursuing equality policies that enable all national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities to enjoy their fundamental rights uncontested; considers that the rights concerned are those which any person may exercise either individually or in community with others;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph -1 d (new) -1d. Reaffirms that indigenous people, in the exercise of theirs rights, should be free from discrimination of any kind and have the right to the dignity and diversity of their culture, traditions, histories and aspiration which shall be appropriately reflected in education and public information; the Member States shall take effective measures, in consultation and cooperation with the indigenous peoples concerned, to combat prejudice and eliminate discrimination and to promote tolerance, understanding and good relations among indigenous peoples and all other segments of society; encourages those Member States that have not yet done so to ratify the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (ILO) No. 169 and implement it in good faith;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph -1 e (new) -1e. Calls on Member States to ensure minority groups’ right to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development, as well as to participate freely and effectively in cultural, social and economic life and in public affairs, in particular those affecting them;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph -1 f (new) -1f. Recalls that there is no standard for minority rights in Union policy nor a common understanding of who can be considered a member of a minority; notes that there is no definition of minorities in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, nor in the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM); underlines the need to protect all national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, regardless of the definition, and any definition should be applied in a flexible manner, as de facto inclusion of beneficiaries under the protection of minority rights often forms part of an evolutionary process that eventually may lead to formal recognition;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – introductory part 1. Recalls that while protection of minorities is a part of the Copenhagen criteria, both for the candidate countries and for the Member States, there is no guarantee that candidate states stick to the commitments undertaken under the Copenhagen criteria once they became Member States;
Amendment 97 #
1.
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – introductory part 1. Recalls that while protection of minorities is a part of the Copenhagen
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 – introductory part 1. Recalls that
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137 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Regrets that the EU has no explicit competence regarding minority issues
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Stresses that it is the responsibility of the Member States to implement political and legislative measures to safeguard and promote the identity and rights of minorities, including ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic rights;
Amendment 100 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 d (new) 8d. In addition to legislation, calls on the EU to establish a European Languages Commissioner or Ombudsperson who acts to ensure the language rights of regional or minority language speakers;
Amendment 101 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 e (new) 8e. Calls on those Member States that are yet to ratify the ECRML and FCNM, an obligation under the Copenhagen criteria, to ratify these Treaties immediately;
Amendment 102 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 f (new) 8f. Calls on the EU to formally link ECRML and FCNM violation and lack of implementation as grounds to trigger the EU infringement proceedings mechanism;
Amendment 103 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 g (new) 8g. Calls on the EU to ensure that violation of Article 21, discrimination on the grounds of language, of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, acts to trigger infringement proceedings;
Amendment 104 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 h (new) 8h. Calls on the EU to include ‘language’ as a ground for discrimination under Article 10 of the TFEU;
Amendment 105 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 i (new) 8i. Insists that the EU recognises language discrimination as a violation of human rights which undermines European values; calls on the Fundamental Rights Agency to start dealing in its work programme with anti- regional or minority language discrimination;
Amendment 106 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 j (new) 8j. Calls of the EU Establish a European Framework Strategy for regional or minority languages similar to the Roma Framework Strategy.
Amendment 107 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 k (new) 8k. Expresses deep concern on the rise of extremism and xenophobia in Europe, in this context, the protection of European minorities’ rights must be considered a priority;
Amendment 108 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 l (new) 8l. Highlights that the protection of minorities as part of the world’s cultural and linguistic diversity, is essential to stability, democracy and peace in Europe;
Amendment 109 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 m (new) 8m. Recalls that mother-tongue education is essential for upholding language rights; encourages the Member States, therefore, to ensure that persons belonging to regional ethnic minorities have adequate opportunities to learn their languages and even to receive education in these languages at all levels of education in the territories in which they live;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Recalls that multilingualism, including the various national sign languages, constitutes one of the greatest assets of cultural diversity in Europe;
Amendment 110 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 n (new) 8n. Calls on the Member States to provide funding for the development of special curricula, methodologies and textbooks to ensure effective teaching in minority languages and of special teaching methodologies for official languages for children with minority language backgrounds;
Amendment 111 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 o (new) 8o. Recalls that the media should reflect the plurality of the population and respect the principle of non- discrimination and that state regulation of broadcast media should in no way restrict minority rights;
Amendment 112 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 p (new) 8p. Welcomes the success of the Minority Safe Pack Initiative, as referred in art 11(4) TUE, supported by 1,215,789 European citizens asking the EU a legislative framework for protecting minority rights through 9 legislatives acts;
Amendment 113 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 q (new) 8q. Urges the Commission to present the legislative proposals in accordance with the Minority Safepack initiative, without undue delay, when the certificate of validity of the signatures sent by Member States has been received;
Amendment 114 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 r (new) 8r. Recalls that human rights are universal and that no minority should suffer discrimination; emphasises that minority rights are an inalienable part of the principle of the rule of law; notes that there is a higher risk of violation of rights of minorities when the rule of law is not respected;
Amendment 115 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 s (new) 8s. Believes that the EU infringement procedure under article 7 (TEU) should be used in case of a clear risk of a serious and persistent breach of the values set out in article2 (TEU) by a Member States;
Amendment 116 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 t (new) 8t. Stresses that the protection and strengthening of cultural heritage related to national minorities in the Member States – a key component of the cultural identity of communities, groups and individuals – plays a crucial role in social cohesion;
Amendment 117 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 u (new) 8u. Considers that Member States should consistently uphold the rights of minorities and periodically assess whether those rights are being respected;
Amendment 118 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 v (new) 8v. Deplores the fact that persons belonging to minorities still encounter obstacles in ensuring respect for their fundamental rights and remain victims of hate speech and hate crimes;
Amendment 119 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 w (new) 8w. Emphasises the role of the EU institutions in raising awareness of the issues related to the protection of minorities and encouraging and supporting the Member States in promoting cultural diversity and tolerance, especially through education;
Amendment 12 #
1b. Urges Member States, in accordance with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, to ensure that their legal systems protect minority groups from discrimination and to bring specific protection measures into line with applicable international standards;
Amendment 120 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 x (new) 8x. Stresses that the development of any cultural heritage policy should be inclusive, community based and participatory, involving consultation and dialogue with the minority communities concerned;
Amendment 121 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 y (new) 8y. Notes that the EU lacks effective tools to monitor respect for minority rights; calls for effective EU-wide monitoring of the situation of autochthonous and linguistic minorities; considers that the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights should carryout enhanced monitoring of discrimination against national minorities in Member States;
Amendment 122 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 z (new) 8z. Encourages the Member States to ensure that the right to use a minority language is upheld and to protect linguistic diversity within the Union in accordance with the EU Treaties;
Amendment 123 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 a a (new) 8aa. Believes that linguistic rights must be respected in communities where there is more than one official language, without limiting the rights of one compared with another, in line with the constitutional order of each Member State;
Amendment 124 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Calls on the Commission to strengthen the promotion of the teaching and use of regional and minority languages, as a potential way of tackling language discrimination in the EU;
Amendment 125 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Encourages the Commission to take more resolute steps to combat LGBTI discrimination and homophobia, including concrete legislative measures, while respecting the competences of Member States; recommends monitoring LGBTI rights and providing clear and accessible information on the recognition of cross-border rights for LGBTI persons and their families in the EU; considers that Member States should duly invest in providing targeted education at different stages in order to prevent bullying and combat homophobia in a structured manner;
Amendment 126 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Condemns the instances of discrimination, segregation, hate speech, hate crime and social exclusion experienced by Roma people; condemns the continuous discrimination against Roma people in access to housing, health care, education and the labour market; recalls that all European citizens should receive equal assistance and protection regardless of their ethnic origin;
Amendment 127 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Calls on the Commission and the Member States to collect reliable and comparable data on equality in consultation with minority representatives in order to measure inequalities and discrimination;
Amendment 128 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Calls on the Member States to exchange good practice and to apply tried and tested solutions in addressing the problems faced by minorities throughout the European Union;
Amendment 129 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Insists on the importance of pursuing equality policies that enable all ethnic, cultural and religious minorities to enjoy their fundamental rights uncontested;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 130 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Urges the Member States to give proper consideration to minority rights, to ensure the right to use a minority language and to protect linguistic diversity within the Union; calls on the Commission to strengthen its plan to promote the teaching and use of regional languages, as a potential way of tackling language discrimination in the EU;
Amendment 131 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 a i (new) Amendment 132 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 a j (new) 8aj. Calls on the Commission and Member States to invest in the development of qualitative teaching material in minority languages for all educational levels; recognizes that it is vital for providers of regional and minority language education to have access to up-to-date and high-quality;
Amendment 133 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 a k (new) 8ak. Calls on Member States promote stable relationships between countries, especially in border regions where more than one language is spoken;
Amendment 134 #
Asks the Commission and Member States to develop an international reward system which stimulates teachers to become proficient in teaching in a multilingual classroom; The European Union should create a framework in which teachers are stimulated to undertake activities that expand their expertise in teaching (in)a regional or minority language;
Amendment 135 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Asks the EU and Member States to raise awareness for multilingualism throughout Europe;
Amendment 136 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Encourages Member States to ratify the ECRML and to adopt the corresponding measures that come with it. This is in line with the recommendation made in NPLD’s Roadmap to Linguistic Diversity (2015).
Amendment 137 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 a o (new) 8ao. Encourages Member States to provide a continuous learning line for minority languages from pre-primary education to third-level education; calls on the EU to collaborate with Member States to facilitate the continuation of minority language learning throughout all educational levels.
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Notes that, in line with the additional protocol on the rights of minorities to the European Convention on Human Rights, national minorities are to be considered as groups of persons who reside on the territory of a state, maintain longstanding ties with that state, display distinctive ethnic, cultural, religious or linguistic characteristics, are sufficiently representative, and are motivated by a concern to preserve their common identity; notes, at the same time, that in addition to national minorities there are other minority communities which need to be protected;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Considers that, with reference to this definition of national minorities, the languages of origin of groups of recent immigrants, if they are not the same as those of groups which have long-standing links to that State, cannot be regarded as minority languages;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Welcomes the development of international standards for resolving national and regional minority issues through a number of legal instruments, such as the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages; calls on the Member States to
Amendment 18 #
3. Welcomes the development of international standards for
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Welcomes the development of international standards for resolving national and regional minority issues through a number of legal instruments, such as the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, but also the development of soft law, such as the OSCE's Hague Recommendations regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities and the OSCE's Oslo Recommendations regarding the Linguistic Rights of National Minorities; calls on the Member States to incorporate these standards and indications into their legal systems and to guarantee that persons belonging to a national or regional minority are not discriminated against;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Re
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Welcomes the development of international standards for resolving national and regional minority issues through a number of legal instruments, such as the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages; calls on the Member States to incorporate these standards into their legal systems and to guarantee that persons belonging to a national or regional minority are not discriminated against; calls, moreover, for Member States to ensure that people belonging to other minority communities are sufficiently protected and not subject to discrimination;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Welcomes the development of international standards for resolving national and regional minority issues through a number of legal instruments,
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Expresses concern over the fact that multiple forms of discrimination and the segregation of Roma children in education remain a structural and deep- rooted phenomenon in several Member States, contributing to the social exclusion of Roma and reducing their chances of integration in the education system, the labour market and in society as a whole; recalls that the issue of Roma segregation has been subject of a number of recommendations from the Commission and therefore calls on the governments to follow those recommendations and implement effective measures;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Recalls that the Article 14 of the aforementioned Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities recommends to endeavour to ensure, as far as possible and within the framework of their education systems, that persons belonging to those minorities have adequate opportunities for being taught the minority language or for receiving instruction in this language, without prejudice to the learning of the official language or the teaching in this language.
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Calls on the European Commission to establish a common EU framework for regional or minority languages, similar to the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies, to encourage the Member States to develop strategies to improve the participation and representation of minorities in the political, cultural, social and economic life of the societies in which they live;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Emphasises the role of the EU institutions in raising awareness of the issues related to the protection of minorities, and in lending encouragement and support to the Member States in the promotion of cultural diversity and tolerance, especially through education, cultural cooperation and cross-border mobility opportunities ;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Points out that minorities suffer from economic and cultural marginalisation, social discrimination and political exclusion; stresses that women and minority LGBTI groups suffer various forms of discrimination on account of their ethnicity or gender, both inside and outside their communities;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Is convinced that mother-tongue language is a central element of cultural and individual identity, but besides it, learning the state language(s) is an important aspect of integrating into society;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Notes that preventing or hindering minorities from progressively availing themselves of their economic, social, educational and cultural rights has implications for the general well-being of individuals and communities and for the preservation of their identity; points out that that any restriction on aspects of their cultural identity that are in line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, together with economic and social inequalities, may become a cause of conflict and social exclusion;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 c (new) 3c. Notes that the social inclusion of minorities has a positive impact on their economic and cultural integration;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Re
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 d (new) 3d. Recalls that an understanding of what is meant by 'culture' is essential in order to define the scope of minority rights in this respect; notes that, in a broad sense, culture amounts to the sum total of material and non-material activities and achievements of a given community and distinguishes it from others; stresses that cultural rights should include: the right to participate in cultural life; the right to enjoy culture; the right to choose to belong to a group; language rights; and protection of the cultural and scientific heritage;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 e (new) 3e. Recalls that Member States have an obligation to guarantee to minorities the full enjoyment of their human rights, whether as individuals or as a community; points out that it is also incumbent on the Member States to ensure the preconditions for preservation of the cultural assets of minorities and to encourage their participation in the cultural life of the community;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 f (new) 3f. Stresses the need for minorities to be duly informed and to give their free consent before any use is made of artistic content relating to their activities in order to safeguard their intellectual property rights;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 g (new) 3g. Recalls that language is an essential element of minority cultures, distinguishing them from the mainstream and ensuring the expression, dissemination and transmission thereof;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 h (new) 3h. Recalls that while, on the one hand, minority groups have the right to learn the national language in the same way as the remainder of the population, on the other hand, Member States should provide opportunities for all those interested on either side to learn minority languages;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 i (new) 3i. Calls on the Member States, in the wake of the European Year of Cultural Heritage, to enhance and promote their minority cultures, thereby encouraging the dissemination of their history and traditions and ensuring that these communities do not remain isolated;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Recalls that education in mother- tongue
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Recalls that
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Regrets that the EU has no explicit competence regarding minority issues, but recalls that minority rights are guaranteed under the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; notes in this connection that minority issues are not placed sufficiently high on the EU agenda; supports therefore an integrated approach to equality and non- discrimination in order to ensure that Member States deal adequately with the diversity of people in their societies;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Recalls that mother-tongue education is essential for upholding language rights; encourages the Member States, therefore, to ensure that persons belonging to regional ethnic minorities, whether they be of school age or adults, have adequate opportunities to learn their languages and even to receive education in these languages at all levels of education in the territories in which they live;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Recalls that m
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Stresses that greater efforts should be made to ensure access to education and training for pupils from national or regional minorities and to support regional educational institutions that provide services in their mother tongue; encourages the Member States to facilitate the development of teaching in the regions with national or regional minorities in the mother tongue of pupils and students;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Urges the Member States to foster access to minority and regional languages by means of funding and support for translation, dubbing and subtitling activities and the compilation of appropriate and non-discriminatory administrative, commercial, economic, social, technical and legal terminologies;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure the provision of education in minority languages and for the opportunity to have the minority language as the main medium of instruction in both public and private educational institutions;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Notes that some border areas share a common language that is not an official EU language; believes that increased levels of funding for teaching and promoting lesser-used cross-border languages would strengthen cooperation, increase mobility for minorities across borders and enrich the cultural diversity and heritage of those areas;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. In the regions with national or regional minorities, Member States are invited to ensure that people living in widely scattered settlements receive appropriate education in the language of regional or national minority;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 c (new) 4c. Encourages the Member States to ensure that those who speak a regional or minority language as their mother tongue have the opportunity to learn the official language sufficiently, by incorporating good practice from the teaching of foreign and second languages into the methodological approach adopted for teaching the official language of the State;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Encourages the Member States to ensure that those who speak a regional or minority language as their mother tongue have the opportunity to learn the official language sufficiently;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 d (new) 4d. Encourages the Member States to produce textbooks that meet the needs of the speakers of regional or minority languages, and -if that proves to be impossible- facilitate the use of textbooks from other countries published in those languages, in co-operation with educational regulation bodies of the countries where regional or minority languages are used;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Regrets that the EU has no explicit competence regarding minority issues, but recalls that minority rights are guaranteed under the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; recalls that the EU has a special duty to take care of the more than 50 million people belonging to national or regional minorities who live on its territory;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Member States to provide funding for the development of special
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Member States to provide funding for the development of special curricula, methodologies and textbooks to ensure effective teaching in minority languages
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Member States to provide funding for teacher training and the development of special curricula (including for lifelong learning), methodologies and
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Deeply regrets that, in some Member States, pupils belonging to a linguistic minority are not integrated in mainstream educational establishments but are placed in special schools with the justification that they are not sufficiently proficient in the language of instruction; calls on the Member States to refrain from such segregation and to take adequate measures to enable such pupils to attend classes in normal schools;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls on the European Commission to strengthen the promotion of programmes focused on the exchange of experiences and best practices concerning education in regional and minority languages in Europe; calls on the European Union and Commission to put greater emphasis on regional and minority languages in the future generation of Erasmus+, Creative Europe and Europe for Citizens programmes under the new MFF;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Stresses the continuing need for urgent action as regards the social situation of the Roma, which can only be described as desolate, given that in large parts of the EU their position remains precarious, notably in terms of access to the labour and housing markets as well as educational and health facilities; calls, therefore, on the Member States to take corrective action in the event of discriminatory practices against members of the Roma community, in particular where public bodies are involved;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Recalls that the protection and strengthening of cultural heritage related to minorities in the Member States – a key component of the cultural identity of communities, groups and individuals – plays a crucial role in social cohesion; stresses in this connection that the development of any cultural heritage policy should be inclusive, citizen-centred and participatory, including consultation and dialogue with the minority communities concerned;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Regrets that the EU has no explicit competence regarding minority issues, but recalls that minority rights are guaranteed under the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which can also address a range of issues affecting those belonging to national and cross-border minorities;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Recalls that the media should reflect the plurality of the population and respect the principle of non-discrimination
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Recalls that the media should reflect the plurality of the population and respect the principle of non-discrimination and that state regulation of broadcast media should in no way restrict minority rights; Member States remain free to determine the language of the public media and to ban a private media organisation on grounds of national security;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Recalls that the media should reflect the plurality of the population and
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Emphasises that adequate access to, and a corresponding visibility in, public audiovisual media and the right to establish and operate private print and audiovisual media are essential for the protection and promotion of the independent identity of minorities; considers it necessary, in the enforcement of such rights, for minorities to benefit from a proportionate allocation of financial and other resources from public or quasi-public sources, given that, without subsidies, media content by and for smaller minority communities in particular can hardly survive in the highly competitive markets;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Restates firmly that freedom of expression includes the ability of minorities to express themselves and communicate freely with members of their own communities and others in their own language through private and public sector broadcast, print and electronic media;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Encourages the Member States to promote the use of regional or minority languages at regional level by adopting legal and regulatory standards, as well as by means of appropriate incentives in their media policy;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 c (new) 6c. Calls on the Member States and Commission to provide appropriate funding for the promotion of the identity, language, history and culture of national and regional minorities;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 d (new) 6d. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to create the legal and regulatory conditions to ensure the freedom of service, passage and reception of audio-visual content in those regions where the minorities live in order to watch and listen content in their mother tongue, by, for example, encouraging the cross- border licensing for broadcasting;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 e (new) 6e. Considers that in order to encourage and facilitate the effective participation of minorities in public life, the use of their languages in municipalities, electoral, administrative, consultative and other public participation processes should be encouraged, where practicable;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 f (new) 6f. Invites the Member States to promote and encourage the use of regional or minority languages at local and regional level; with this aim in mind, actively encourage municipal authorities to ensure the use of such languages in practice;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Deeply regrets the increase in racism, religious fanaticism, anti- Semitism, Islamophobia, anti-Gypsyism and xenophobia in many EU Member States; notes in this connection that persons belonging to minorities still encounter obstacles in ensuring respect for their fundamental rights and continue to be victims of discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes and offences; stresses that the encouragement of inter- cultural dialogue and inter-ethnic tolerance pursuant to Article 6 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities is an important public commitment;
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 g (new) 6g. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that place names and topographical designations are written in their correct form and available in the languages commonly used in a given region, including on signs indicating entry into or exit from urban areas, on all road signs providing information and also important instructions and public announcements;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7.
Amendment 74 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Calls on the Commission to promote research into education, language learning and models of education in multilingual contexts, to support programmes focusing on exchanges of experience and best practices relating to regional and minority languages in Europe and to present a legislative proposal or an EU recommendation on the protection and promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. C
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Calls on the Commission to present a legislative proposal or an EU recommendation on the protection and promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity; calls further on the Commission to allocate the area of ‘multilingualism and language technology’ to the portfolio of a Commissioner; considers that the Commissioner responsible should be tasked with promoting linguistic diversity and equality at EU level, given the importance of protecting European minority languages in the digital age;
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Notes the frequent link between the cultural identity of a minority group and a particular geographical territory; points out that for many minority groups the right to land defines the way and the means by which they live and practice their culture;
Amendment 78 #
7a. Draws attention to the positive value of promoting cultural diversity and raising awareness, especially at local and regional level where possibilities of a direct impact are much greater;
Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Considers that local and regional authorities should play an active role in the assimilation of minorities, for example through the planning and organisation by municipal councils and assemblies of information sessions and training activities and the provision of administrative assistance to facilitate their integration; urges the Member States to exchange information and examples of good practice in this area;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Stresses that the EU has a duty to protect minorities and to guarantee their rights; notes that Article 2 of the Lisbon Treaty frames ‘minority protection’ as one of the fundamental values of the EU; further notes that Articles 21 - on non- discrimination - and 22 - on cultural, religious and linguistic diversity - of the Charter of Fundamental Rights acquired legally binding form in the Lisbon Treaty; regrets that there is not at present a comprehensive EU approach on how to address issues in minority protection policy;
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 c (new) 7c. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide the local and regional authorities with adequate financial and other own resources to formulate and implement the strategies they deem best for the protection of minorities;
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 d (new) 7d. Notes that education is one of the best means of enabling young people belonging to minorities to learn about their heritage and history and for their culture to be disseminated and recognized by society at large; stresses that education is fundamental to the promotion of minority rights and constitutes a precondition for the enjoyment of economic, political, social and cultural rights; points out that education is a vehicle for the empowerment of those belonging to minorities, enabling them to participate meaningfully in the society they belong to;
Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 e (new) 7e. Believes that educational activities are fundamental for the assimilation of children and young people belonging to minorities, while observing that they are equally conducive to the integration of their parents and families; urges Member States to encourage schools to organise extracurricular activities involving parents and children, thereby enhancing the levels of interaction within the entire educational community;
Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 f (new) 3f. Recommends investment in the preparation of staff, especially teaching staff, in educational establishments catering for minorities, providing them with the necessary skills to work with students from different cultural, religious, ethnic or linguistic backgrounds;
Amendment 84 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 g (new) 3g. Encourages the Member States to promote cultural diversity and respect for such differences through a pluralist, inclusive and democratic education system;
Amendment 85 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 h (new) 7h. Encourages the Member State governments to include minority representatives in deliberations on the organisation of their education systems;
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 i (new) 7i. Recommends that, for the next period, 2021-2027, ESF+ appropriations earmarked for the promotion of social inclusion be used to support educational and cultural projects aimed at integrating ethnic, religious, cultural or linguistic minorities;
Amendment 87 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 j (new) 7j. Recalls that non-discrimination and equality with regard to minorities and other disadvantaged groups are the first principles of the International Labour Organization (ILO); notes that, in the promotion and application of fundamental rights and principles at the workplace, the ILO pays special attention to socially or economically disadvantaged groups and that its rules take account of the need to uphold and protect the rights of minorities;
Amendment 88 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 k (new) 7k. Calls on the Member States regularly to collect data and provide statistical information regarding the assimilation of minorities into educational establishments, the employment market and civic life;
Amendment 89 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 l (new) 7l. Calls on the Commission to set up mechanisms to monitor the progress of Member States in fulfilling their obligations regarding the protection of minority rights;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Stresses that with respect for and in line with the principles of national sovereignty and territorial integrity only Members States can determine national minorities and minority languages as well as effectively protect and guarantee minority rights within their territories;
Amendment 90 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 Amendment 91 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. C
Amendment 92 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Considers that it should be envisaged to
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Considers that it should be envisaged to establish the office of a Special Rapporteur for Minority Rights whose mandate would be to monitor the implementation and fulfilment of minority rights and to draw up reports based on country visits and to further develop links with the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities.
Amendment 94 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to create the legal and regulatory conditions which ensures the freedom of service, passage and reception of audio-visual content in those regions where the minorities live in order to watch and listen content in their mother tongue, which is broadcasted cross-border without being geoblocked.
Amendment 95 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Advises that the Donostia Protocol 1a, launched in December 2016, with input from language NGOs from across Europe is a useful standard-setting tool for the protection and promotion of minority languages, aimed at ensuring that speakers of European lesser used languages are empowered to live their lives in their language; _________________ 1a http://protokoloa.eus/en/
Amendment 96 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 a (new) Amendment 97 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Recalls that the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (Council of Europe) Recommendation 7 stipulates that language discrimination is a form of both direct and indirect racism;
Amendment 98 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 b (new) 8b. Advises that the Donostia Protocol, launched in December 2016, with input from language NGOs from across Europe is a useful standard-setting tool for the protection and promotion of regional or minority languages aimed at ensuring that speakers of European lesser used languages are empowered to live their lives in their language;
Amendment 99 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 c (new) 8c. Calls on the EU to develop an EU Directive or Regulation that works to substantively promote and protect Europe’s regional or minority languages;
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