Civil Society and Politics meet at the European Parliament

The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) attended the meeting ‘FUEN invita-tion to lunch in EU Parliament – Cooperation between civil society and politics’ on 29 June 2011, organized by Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN). ABTTF President Halit Habipoğlu took part in the conference held by Danish MEP Anne E. Jensen (ALDE).

FUEN communicated their activities at the European Parliament

A total of 50 participants comprising EP representatives, minorities, EU Commission and Council of Europe representatives took part in the conference and listened to FUEN President Hans Heinrich Hansen, MEP Anne E. Jansen and Carl Haglund, Co-Chair of the Intergroup for Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages.

Hans Heinrich Hansen explained that in order to form a close dialogue with MEPS, they have joined the Intergroup for Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages with a delegation of 10 persons and the main objective of the meeting was to provide information on the activities of FUEN. FUEN Director Jan Diedrichsen, also informed participants of a new cooperation mechanism and introduced a plan to establish a centre of competence for Europe’s minorities, a project which is receiving financial support from the Danish government.

Secondly, Jan Diedrichsen explained that in order to fill the vacuum in the aftermath of the dissolution of EBLUL at European level, the most recent FUEN congress launched a new initiative in the area of regional and minority languages. Johan Häggman, former member in the cabinet of the EU Commissioner for Multilingualism Leonard Orban, introduced the new Project.

Thirdly, Jan Diedrichsen mentioned the “Eisenstadt Declaration”, FUEN’s focus on the problems of the Roma with the title “Solidarity with the Roma!”. He continued to explain that under the aegis of former minister Dr. Jürgen Schöning, FUEN is using its position as an umbrella organisation for minorities to also support the Roma, who are the largest European minority, and who daily suffer the most difficult conditions.

Fourthly, Gyula Winkler, MEP and MP of FUEN member organisation RMDSZ, representing the Hungarian minority in Romania, presented the idea of starting a Europe-wide pressure group, ‘citi-zen’s initiative’, under the aegis of FUEN.

Fifthly, FUEN General Secretary Domowina Bernhard Ziesc, informed the participants of the meet-ing by giving a presentation on the European Minorities Football Cup –EUROPEADA 2012. FUEN is organising this sporting event for the second time, in partnership with the Lausitz Sorbs.

Finally, FUEN President Hans Heinrich Hansen, brought the European Dialogue Forum on the agenda and presented his ideas on how to establish a structural dialogue mechanism.

Members of the FUEN European Dialogue Forum meet at dinner the previous evening

The members of the FUEN European Dialogue Forum met for dinner with President Heinrich Hansen and discussed the recent evolutions of the European Dialogue Forum. The European Dia-logue Forum was established on 24 April 2008, by FUEN and the Intergroup for Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages. ABTTF President Halit Habipoğlu was elected as a member of the European Dialogue Forum, at the FUEN congress in Pecs, Hungary on 24 May 2008. Following the FUEN congress in Ljubljana on 12-15 May 2010, President Habipoğlu was re-elected for his second term as member of the European Dialogue Forum.