Minority SafePack Initiative discussed at the EU Court on Friday

This Friday at 09:30 hr, the General Court of the European Union will hear the case of the Minority SafePack Initiative against the European Commission. The oral hearing is open to the public.

FUEN President Loránt Vincze said: “The hearing at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg represents a milestone for the FUEN and the European autochthonous minorities. Exactly three years ago the European Commission rejected our proposal without much explanation, so we are glad that we finally have the chance to present and defend our project.”

The European autochthonous minorities wanted to use the European citizens’ initiative, with the aim get into a dialogue with the European Union institutions on improving the protection of persons belonging to national and linguistic minorities and to strengthen cultural and linguistic diversity in the Union.

FUEN was able to bring together a citizens’ committee consisting of important representatives of the European minorities from across Europe. The committee included a national deputy prime minister, regional presidents and ministers, a high-ranking UN-diplomat and is chaired by the former president of FUEN, Hans Heinrich Hansen.

 “The Minority SafePack Initiative aims to provide support for the autochthonous minorities throughout various European policy areas”, said Loránt Vincze. “The EU has to assume its role in protecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe, our citizens’ initiative is a still valid partnership proposal.”

The content of the proposal was very carefully drafted with the help of renowned EU and minority law experts. The Minority SafePack, as it was called, contains a set of measures and concrete legal acts (laws) for the promotion and protection of the European minorities and the regional and minority languages.

With the new instrument of the citizens’ initiative, which was first introduced in 2012, initiators can seek the support of more than one million citizens from at least 7 of the 28 European Member States for their proposal. If they succeed in collecting all these signatures, the European Commission is obliged to respond to their proposal. However, before the initiative is registered, the European Commission must evaluate whether the initiative falls within the competence of the EU to adopt legislation. It was here where the European Commission rejected the initiative. Falsely, in our opinion.

More information:

Calender of the EU Court
Content of the Minority SafePack Initiative
Minority SafePack flyer, with the members of the citizens’ committee