ABTTF President: “The decision taken by the European Commission led to a great disappointment among the national and linguistic minorities living in Europe and a historic opportunity has been lost in creating a minority protection mechanism at EU level.”
The European Commission announced on 14 January 2021 that it would not take any related initiative with respect to the nine legislative proposals in the European Citizens’ Initiative of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) entitled “Minority SafePack (MSPI) – one million signatures for diversity in Europe”.
In its decision, the European Commission noted that the current rules are sufficient to support projects that support EU Member States to improve the rights and culture of members of national minorities, noting that there is no need for additional legal action (for the protection of national and linguistic minorities).
Criticising the European Commission’s decision, MEP and FUEN President Loránt Vincze said the following: “The European Commission has let down the approximately 50 million citizens of the EU who belong to national and linguistic minorities. Now the European Commission, which is supposed to be the guardian of democracy, the rule of law, dignity and justice, is also turning its back on national and linguistic minorities”.
On the other hand, an open letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen and Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová was sent on 19 October 2021 by 64 MEPS among them the Co-Chairs of the EP Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages Intergroup Loránt Vincze, François Alfonsi and Kinga Gál (https://www.facebook.com/Intergroup-for-Traditional-Minorities-National-Communities-and-Languages-125934977420371/) and also by the MSPI Citizens Committee on 20 January 2021 (https://www.fuen.org/assets/upload/editor/docs/doc_kJYVKbAC_Statement_CitCom_20012021.pdf). Those who signed the letters underlined that the European Commission's decision on the MSPI was very disappointing to them, but that the rights and demands of national and linguistic minority groups at EU level would continue to be expressed.
For the MSPI, launched and coordinated by FUEN in 2013, 1,123,422 valid signatures were collected in 11 EU Member States, and the initiative was introduced to the European Commission at the official top-launch event in Brussels on 5 February 2020. In a vote at the Plenary of the European Parliament (EP) on 17 December 2020, the decision supporting the MSPI was adopted by a vote of 524 out of 694 MEPs.
“The European Commission’s decision that it will not make legal arrangements in line with the proposals in MSPI has been a major disappointment to national and linguistic minorities in the EU. The European Commission ignored the EP’s decision to support the initiative with its signatures, and the historic opportunity to establish a minority protection mechanism at EU level was thus missed. Despite the negative decision of the European Commission, thanks to the MSPI, national and linguistic minorities have been put onto the EU agenda and become a constantly discussed issue and awareness of their problems has been raised”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
*Image: www.fuen.org
