European Parliament resolutions concerning traditional national and linguistic minorities in the EU

17.02.2025

(In chronological order as from 2005)

 

1. European Parliament resolution of 8 June 2005 on the protection of minorities and anti-discrimination policies in an enlarged Europe (2005/2008(INI))

Adopted text

Legislative Observatory link

 

2. European Parliament resolution of 11 September 2013 on endangered European languages and linguistic diversity in the European Union (2013/2007(INI))

Adopted text

Legislative Observatory link

 

3. European Parliament resolution of 7 February 2018 on protection and non-discrimination with regard to minorities in the EU Member States (2017/2937(RSP))

Adopted text

Legislative Observatory link

 

4. European Parliament resolution of 13 November 2018 on minimum standards for minorities in the EU (2018/2036(INI))

Adopted text

Legislative Observatory link

 

5. European Parliament resolution of 17 December 2020 on the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Minority SafePack – one million signatures for diversity in Europe’ (2020/2846(RSP))

Adopted text

Legislative Observatory link

 

6. Parliament resolution of 18 April 2023 on the institutional relations between the EU and the Council of Europe (2022/2137(INI))

Adopted text

Legislative Observatory link

 

 

Further EP resolutions with reference to national and linguistic minorities

 

1. European Parliament resolution of 24 March 2009 on Multilingualism: an asset for Europe and a shared commitment (2008/2225(INI))

Adopted text

Related paragraphs:

24. Encourages and supports the introduction of mother-tongue minority, local and foreign languages on a non-compulsory basis within school programmes and/or in the context of extracurricular activities open to the community;
25. Calls on the Council to produce an annual progress report on multilingualism in formal and informal education systems, vocational training and adult education in the Member States, paying attention to the relationship between the prevalence of national, regional and minority languages and immigration;
26. Reiterates its longstanding commitment to the promotion of language learning, multilingualism and linguistic diversity in the European Union, including regional and minority languages, as these are cultural assets that must be safeguarded and nurtured; considers that multilingualism is essential for effective communication and represents a means of facilitating comprehension between individuals and hence acceptance of diversity and of minorities;

 

2. European Parliament resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties (2022/2051(INL))

Text adopted

Related paragraphs:

Non-Discrimination

30. Proposes to expand non-discrimination protections to gender, social origin, language, political opinion and membership of a national minority and to introduce OLP for non-discrimination legislation; proposes to replace ‘the equality of men and women’ by ‘gender equality’ throughout the Treaties; underlines that the Union’s institutions and their governing and consultative bodies must be composed in a non-discriminatory manner and reflect gender equality and diversity of society;
31. Calls for additional protections for national minorities and for regional and minority languages in the Union to be included in the Treaties;

 

Amendment 82

Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

Article 10

	Amendment
	In defining and implementing its policies and activities, the Union shall aim to combat discrimination based on sex, gender, racial, ethnic or social origin, language, religion or belief, political opinion, belonging to a national minority, disability, age or sexual orientation.

 

Amendment 85

Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

Article 19 – paragraph 1

Amendment

1.  Without prejudice to the other provisions of the Treaties and within the limits of the powers conferred by them upon the Union, the European Parliament and the Council, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, may take appropriate action to combat discrimination based on sex, gender, racial, ethnic or social origin, language, religion or belief, political opinion, belonging to a national minority, disability, age or sexual orientation.

 

Amendment 92

Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

Article 24 a (new)

Amendment

The Union shall protect persons belonging to minorities, in line with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The European Parliament and the Council, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, shall adopt provisions with a view to facilitating the exercise of the rights of people belonging to minorities. The Union shall accede to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

 

3. European Parliament resolution of 23 November 2023 on the outcome of the Committee on Petitions’ deliberations during 2022 (2023/2047(INI))

Adopted text

Related paragraphs:

18. Points out that petitions related to the rights of national minorities remained on the agenda of the Committee on Petitions, especially in the areas of discriminatory practices concerning their right to education in their mother tongue and the use of languages; points to the public hearing on cultural and linguistic diversity in the EU organised by the Committee on Petitions on 20 April 2022, which considered the various issues affecting the use of minority language and the possibilities of safeguarding and promoting cultural and linguistic diversity in the EU; considers necessary the EU's support for the teaching and use of regional and minority languages;

 

4. European Parliament resolution of 13 December 2023 on the implementation of the 2018 Geo-blocking Regulation in the digital single market (2023/2019(INI))

Adopted text

Related paragraphs:

19. Welcomes the progress made in terms of cross-catalogue availability of music, e-book, video game and software products and services, both in subscription and transaction-based models; recalls that geo-blocking in the book sector does not constitute a concern for the vast majority of consumers; regrets the limited improvements in the cross-catalogue availability of audiovisual content and live sports events, which contribute to consumers’ perception that the audiovisual services sector is applying the highest level of geo-blocking; acknowledges the particularly negative effect of geo-blocking practices on citizens living in cross-border regions or belonging to linguistic minorities;
20. In this context, calls on the Commission to propose tangible solutions that will allow consumers, in particular citizens living in cross-border regions or belonging to linguistic minorities, legal access to varying cross-catalogue content across borders; recalls the obligation for the Commission to report on the evaluation of the Geo-blocking Regulation; while acknowledging the need for further assessment of the potential impact on the overall dynamics of the audiovisual sector ensuring sustainable business models for economic operators; recommends that owing to its complexity as a result of factors such as the diversity of content, providers, business models, consumers’ preferences, licensing models and complex value chains, the Commission should consider a gradual approach, targeting specific type and distribution models of the audiovisual sector one-by-one, and gather additional evidence before further steps are taken; while assuring realistic timeframes for any potential changes that will allow providers of audiovisual services to adapt their business models properly to the new rules and ensure the preservation of cultural diversity and quality of content;

 

European Parliament STUDIES

Towards a comprehensive EU protection system for minorities

Minority and minoritised languages as part of the European linguistic and cultural diversity