FUEN discussed minority issues with EU institutions in Brussels

On the occasion of the European Day of Languages, a FUEN delegation visited Brussels for a series of political meetings with European institutions. FUEN President Olivia Schubert, Spokesperson of FUEN’s European Dialogue Forum Jens A. Christiansen, Youth of European Nationalities (YEN) President Johanna Kézdi, Bernard Gaida from the Association of German Social-Cultural Societies in Poland and Gösta Toft from the Federation of Germans in Northern Schleswig were part of the delegation

The political programme started on 29 September, Tuesday morning at the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), where they met CoR Secretary-General Petr Blížkovský, Béatrice Taulègne, Director for Legislative Work, and Matthieu Hornung, Deputy Head of Cabinet of CoR President Kata Tüttő. The exchange focused on the role of national and linguistic minorities in Europe’s regions, regional and minority languages in EU regional policy, as well as FUEN’s initiative on geo-blocking and access to audiovisual content in minority languages.

On the same day, the delegation visited the European Commission’s DG Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management. They discussed the continuation of the strategic partnership with the Intergroup for Traditional Minorities, Nationalities and Languages in a meeting with its Chairperson, MEP Loránt Vincze. After the meeting, they took part together in the official opening of FUEN’s exhibition on minority languages in the European Parliament, followed by a high-level reception at the FUEN Office Brussels.

On Wednesday, 30 September, the FUEN delegation visited Governor Arno Kompatscher and office head Vesna Caminades at the Representation of South Tyrol in Brussels, as well as the Hanse office, the representation of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. The discussions focused on the representation of regional priorities in Brussels and ways of bringing best practices of linguistic diversity protection in the European capital. The sides also discussed the problem geo-blocking represents in accessing content in mother tongue for minority communities in border regions.

The FUEN delegation had constructive discussions at the at DG Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sports about the European Commission’s initiatives to protect linguistic diversity, the involvement of minority youth into decision-making processes and the need to connect minorities’ cultures and sports. Here, EUROPEADA, the European football championship of minorities organised by FUEN and its member organisations, was brought up as a positive example.