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A recent report by the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities highlights concerns over the implementation of minority rights across Europe, maszol.ro reports.
MEP Loránt Vincze, politician of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania has expressed his disappointment over the lack of enforcement mechanisms both within the European Council and the European Union, noting that minority protection remains a weak area in international law.
Mr. Vincze emphasized that while the Council of Europe has some competence in minority rights protection, it lacks effective enforcement power.
In practice, we are talking about a weak international legal convention that does not allow for the punishment of member states,” he said.
The Romanian-Hungarian MEP also pointed out that the situation in the EU is even more challenging because minority rights are not within the EU’s direct competence. “The enforcement of minority rights in the European Union is even weaker, as it is not a competence,” he added.
The European Commission has been slow to address the issue, leaving minority protection largely in the hands of member states. Loránt Vincze has long advocated for the creation of a European framework for minority rights, arguing that member states are not doing enough to protect local minorities.
We have long urged the European Commission to address the rights of national minorities. But this is always swept off the table,” he explained.
A significant initiative in this area is the Minority SafePack, aiming to protect the rights of national minorities within the EU. The initiative includes proposals for creating a body specifically dedicated to minority protection. According to the politician, the creation of such a body would help ensure that minority rights are recognized and enforced across the EU. However, the Minority SafePack has struggled to gain the necessary traction within European institutions.
Loránt Vincze stressed that the EU must take stronger action to protect minority rights. “We cannot talk about legal certainty, legal enforcement, or even recognition of national minorities in many places,” he warned.
Via maszol.ro; Featured Image: Facebook / Vincze Loránt