From 2016, FUEN funding by the Federal Republic of Germany will increase to 500 000 Euros

The Budget Committee of the German Federal Parliament decided yesterday at its concluding meeting to drastically increase the funding for activities of the European umbrella organisation Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) as of 2016.

In the future FUEN will receive a grant of 500 000 Euros.

FUEN President Hans Heinrich Hansen:

“I am very glad that we succeeded in received this funding from the Federal Republic of Germany. It is the result made possible through many people who supported us, and made a contribution on many levels.

On behalf of FUEN, I thank Bettina Hagedorn, the Deputy Coordinator in the Budget Committee for the Socialist Group and Franz Thönnes, the Deputy Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee (SPD), the two Budget-Rapporteurs Dr Reinhard Brandl (Conservative) and Martin Gerster (Socialist), for their efforts and also the Federal Government Commissioner for National Minorities Hartmut Koschyk (Conservative) and the Minority Commissioner of the Land of Schleswig-Holstein for their support.

We consider this funding as recognition for FUEN and its members, but also as political and social appreciation of the minorities.

It is a good step in the right direction and in accordance with the German foreign affairs policy for the German OSCE Chairmanship 2016, which wants to actively involve the minorities and their expertise into peace-making policies.

I am glad for FUEN and thank our members for their engagement.”

Facts:

The Budget Committee of the German Federal Parliament decided at its concluding session for the Budget 2016 on 12-13 November 2015 to significantly increase German federal funding for the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) from 100 000 Euro now to 500 000 Euros. The new amount also includes funding for the Coordination Office in Berlin for the Working Group of German Minorities in FUEN that was established during this year.

Furthermore the Committee called upon the German Federal Government to provide more project funding and also funding for personnel and to examine whether in 2017 institutional funding from the budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can be given. Hence is suggested that FUEN will become an institutional grant from the Federal Republic of Germany as from 2017.

Moreover, the Budget Committee decided to support the renovation of the House of Minorities with 600 000 Euros in 2016. The House of Minorities – a common project of FUEN, Sydslesvigsk Forening (SSF) and Bund Deutscher Nordschleswiger (BDN), will further bolster the position of Flensborg/Flensburg in Schleswig-Holstein as a European minority hotspot. 

Press releases:

Bettina Hagedorn MP, the Deputy Coordinator in the Budget Committee for the Socialist Group (in German)

Federal Government Commissioner for National Minorities Hartmut Koschyk MP (in German)

Dr Sabine Sütterlin-Waack MP (in German)

Sydslesvigsk Forening (Deutsch) (Danish)

Südschleswigsche Wählerverband (SSW) (in German)

Photo:
FUEN Secretary General Susann Schenk and FUEN President Hans Heinrich Hansen in front of the House of Minorities in Flensborg/Flensburg